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XM] 


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Xrrf»j-^  ,j; 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes  /  Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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la 


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Les  imagas  suivantas  ont  At*  reproduites  avec  le 
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filmaga. 

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papier  est  imprim^  sont  filmis  en  commencant 
par  la  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darni^re  paga  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  eas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  filmis  an  commencant  par  la 
premiire  page  qui  compone  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  an  terminant  par 
la  darniire  paga  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  das  symbolas  suivants  spparaitrs  sur  la 
darniire  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
ces:  le  symbols  -^^signifie  "A  SUIVRE".  le 
symbols  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  strs 
filmte  i  des  Mux  de  reduction  diff*rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  atre 
raproduit  en  un  seul  clich*.  il  est  film*  A  partir 
de  I'angle  sup*rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  k  droite. 
et  de  haut  an  bas.  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'imeges  n*csssaire.  Les  diegremmew  suivants 
illusrrent  la  mAthoda. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

MICROCOPY   RESOIUTION   TEST  CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


1.0 


I.I 


L4  12.8 
13.2 


Li 


1^ 

14.0 


1.4 


2.5 

2.0 
1.8 

1.6 


J  APPLIED  IIVMGE     Inc 

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•^  Rochester.    I'leo   York  14609        USA 

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as  (716)    288  -  59?      -  Fox 


SEA  PLUNDER 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 

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JOHN  LANE  CO..  NEW  YORK 


SEA  PLUNDER 


BY 

H.  DE  VERE  STACPOOLE 

ATTTHOR  OF 

"THK  gold  trail,"  "the  PEAEL  nSHESS," 

"the  PRESENTAnON,"  ETC. 


NEW  YORK:  JOHN  LANE  COMPANY 

TORONTO:    S.  B.  GUNDY  :   MCMXVII 


/  s^..v7 

-/ 

COPYKIOHT,  I916, 

By  Street  ft  Smith 

I 

II 

III 

Copyright,  191 7, 
By  John  Lame  Coup  any 

IV 

V 

VI 

VII~ 

VIII 

IX 
X 

I 

II 
III 

Press  of 

J.  J.  Little  &  Ives  Co. 

New  York,  U  S.  A. 

IV 
V 

CONTENTS 

PART  I 
The  Buccaneers 

CBArm  FACE 

I    The  Captain 9 

II    The  "Penguin" 27 

III  The  Top  Seat  at  the  Table     ...  34 

IV  The  Sailing  of  the  "Penguin"     .     .  42 
V    The  Cable  Message 52 

VI    The  Crew's  Share  of  the  Spoils  .     .  84 

Vir~CHRISTOBAL 92 

VIII    Sprengel 99 

IX    The  "Minerva" 115 

X    The  Last  of  the  "Penguin"    ...  143 


PART  II 
The  "Heart  of  Ireland" 

I    The  Captain  Gets  a  Ship    ....  159 

II    The  "Yan-Shan" 188 

III  A  Cargo  of  Champagne 221 

IV  AvALON  Bay 252 

V    The  Big  Haul 283 


PART  I 


THE   BUCCANEERS 


>!« 


[5 


^J 

coast- 

\ 

Arma 

Th 

make 

CaptJ 

no  ex 

"The 

at  Sa 

Meig 

' 

Scare 

thing 

of  se^ 

THE   BUCCANEERS 


THE  CAPTAIN 


Captain  Blood  used  to  come  down  to  Mc- 
Ginnis'  wharf  every  afternoon  to  have  a  look 
round.  The  Captain  was  an  Irishman  of  the 
ulack-haired,  grey-eyed  type  from  the  west 
coast — a  relic  of  the  wreck  of  the  Spanish 
Armada. 

The  Spanish  strain  in  the  Celtic  nature 
makes  for  volcanic  developments;  and  the 
Captain,  from  what  we  knew  of  him,  formed 
no  exception  to  this  rule.  He  was  known  as 
'The  Captain"  tout  court  all  along  the  front 
at  San  Francisco,  from  the  China  docks  to 
Meiggs'  Wharf.  He  was  a  character. 
Scarcely  forty  years  of  age,  he  had  done  most 
things  that  a  man  could  possibly  do  in  the  way 
of  sea-and-land  adventure.    He  had  run  guns 

9 


10 


SEA  PLUNDER 


in  the  Spanish-American  War,  dug  for  gold 
at  Klondike  with  the  first  batch  of  diggers, 
lost  two  fingers  of  his  left  hand  in  a  dust-up  on 
the  Chile  coast,  and  two  ships  in  a  manner 
considered  dubious  by  the  Board  of  Trade. 
But  he  never  had  lost  a  friend,  nor  an  enemy. 
Unlike  most  of  his  class,  he  had  nothing  of  the 
amphibian  about  him.  Straight  and  well  set 
up,  he  always  managed  to  keep  a  clean,  well- 
groomed  appearance  even  in  the  teeth  of  ad- 
versity. 

The  Captain  was  seated  to-day  on  a  mooring 
bitt,  watching  the  freighters  loading  with 
grain  and  the  tugs  and  Italian  whitehalls  pass- 
ing on  the  blue  water  of  the  bay.  He  was 
down  on  his  luck,  had  been  for  the  last  month, 
and  was  in  a  condition  of  humour  with  the 
world  that  would  have  lent  him  to  any  job 
from  piracy  to  the  captaining  of  a  hay  barge. 

Owners  had  fought  shy  of  him  ever  since 
his  last  deep-sea  adventure.  Capable  and 
sober  enough,  he  had  earned  a  reputation  for 
recklessness  that  was  a  bar  to  employment  as 
fatal  as  a  reputation  for  drink.    There  were 


mm. 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


II 


0  more  Klondikes  to  be  exploited,  perfect 
eace  reigned  on  the  west  American  seaboard 
rom  Vancouver  to  Wellington  Island,  piracy 
/as  out  of  date,  and  every  hay  barge  had  its 
aptain. 

There  seemed  no  prospect  before  him  but 
ither  to  go  into  the  fo'c'sle  or  go  on  tramp, 
nd  as  he  sat  on  the  mooring  bitt,  kicking  his 
leels  and  watching  the  shipping,  he  was  tr}ung 
0  decide  which  of  these  two  prospects  was 
he  more  hateful. 

He  had  arrived  at  no  decision  on  this  point 
vhen  he  saw  a  figure  approaching  him.  It 
vas  Billy  Harman. 

"Why,  there  you  are !"  said  Billy.  "Just  the 
nan  I  wanted  to  see.  I  looked  into  Sam 
Brown's,  and  you  weren't  there,  and  Sam  said: 
Try  down  on  the  wharves ;  the  Captain  is  sure 
to  be  down  on  the  wharves  on  the  lookout  for 
bis  ship.' " 

"I'll  teach  him  to  talk  about  me  and  my  af- 
fairs," said  Blood.  "Well,  now  you've  found 
me,  what  have  you  got  for  me?" 

"A  ship,"  replied  Harman. 


12  SEA  PLUNDER 

"Have  you  got  it  in  your  pocket?"  said  the 
Captain.    "If  so,  produce  it.    A  ship!    And  )ut  in 
since  what  day  have  you  turned  owner?" 

Mr.  Harman  produced  a  pipe  and  oegan 
to  load  it  carefully  and  meditatively.  His 
manner  could  not  have  been  more  detached 
had  the  Captain  not  been  present. 

Then,  having  lit  the  pipe  and  taken  a  draw 
he  seemed  to  remember  the  presence  of  the 
other. 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "it's  a  sure-enough  job  if|o"  ^ 
you  wish  to  take  it.  I'd  have  had  it  myself, 
only  I'm  no  hand  at  the  deep-sea-cabie  busi- 
ness ;  but  when  the  thing  was  spoken  of  to  me 
I  said :  'I've  got  the  man  you  want  who  can 
do  any  job  in  that  way  better'n  any  man  in 
Frisco.'  You  see,  I  knew  you'd  served  t\vo 
years  on  the  Groper." 

"The  G*-^*nel,  you  mean." 

"It's  ai.  .e  same;  she  were  a  cable  ship, 
weren't  she?  And  I  said:  'If  he'll  go,  I'll  go 
meself  as  second  off'cer.    I  can  do  the  navi- 


"W 


:rew 
)othe] 
0  me, 
:ome 
"N. 
ihiftii 
0  gel 


iVho' 
ngto 
[sthi 
ieliri 
able 
isci 
ngsl 

'It's 


gatm 


1 » ?? 


ay  1 
laskn 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


13 


"When  the  whisky  bottle  is  out  of  sight," 
)ut  in  Blood. 

"  'And  what's  more,'  said  I,  'I'll  get  you  a 
:rew  that's  up  to  snuflf  and  won't  make  no 
)other  nor  tell  no  yarns.  You  leave  the  job 
0  me,'  said  I,  'and  if  I  can  get  the  Captain  to 
:ome  along  it's  fixed,'  I  says." 

"Now  look  here.  Bill  Harman,"  said  Blood, 
ihifting  his  position  on  the  mooring  bitt  so  as 
0  get  his  informant  face  to  face,  "what  are 
fou  driving  at?  What  do  you  mean,  anyhow? 
Who's  the  owner  of  the  cable  boat  that's  will- 
ing to  ship  you  as  first  mate  and  me  as  skipper? 
Is  this  a  guy  you  are  letting  off  on  me,  or  is  it 
delirium  tremens?  A  cable  boat!  Why,  what 
:able  company  is  going  to  fish  round  pro- 

iscuous  and  pick  up  its  officers  from  sweep- 
ngs  like  you  md  me?" 
"This  is  no  company,"  replied  Harman. 

It's  a  private  venture." 
"To  lay  or  to  mend?" 
"Well,  if  you  ask  me,"  said  Harman,  "I'd 

ay  it  was  more  like  a  breaking  job.    If  you 
[ask  me,  I  wouldn't  swear  to  it  being  an  upside 


.'-A'-4-i^'A  J.  i' 


H 


14 


SEA  PLUNDER 


business,  but  it's  a  hundred  dollars  a  month 
for  the  skipper  and  a  bonus  of  two  thousand 
dollars  if  the  job's  pulled  off,  and  half  that 
for  the  mate." 

The  Captain  whistled. 

The  darkness  in  this  business  revealed 
Billy  Harman  jumped  up  at  him;  so  did 
two  thousand  dollars  bonus  and  the  hundred 
month  pay. 

"Who  asked  you  to  come  into  this?" 
he. 

"A  chap  named  Shiner,"  replied  Harman 

"A  Jew?" 

"A  German.    I  don't  know  whether  he  is  a 
Jew  or  not,  but  he's  got  the  splosh." 

"Look  here,"  said  the  Captain,  half  resum- 
ing his  place  on  the  mooring  bitt  with  one 
dangling,  "let's  come  to  common  sense.  To 
begin  w'th,  you  can't  run  a  cable  boat  with  a 
skipper  and  a  mate  and  even  a  couple  of 
engineers  alone.  You  want  an  electrician 
Where's  your  electrician  to  come  from?" 

"You  don't  want  no  electricians  to  cut  cables 
with,"  said  Harman. 


"That 
neditati 

"Yet, 
hap  SI 


said  ihiner 


•S3?*<W«^S 


ncian 


by  elf.     Sj 

thelvork." 

"Oh,  1 

"Yes, 

1 

eckon  h 

TheC 

ng.    At 

business 

ng  to  c 

ommun 

ere  v\ 

vhere  tl 

mitful 

inly  twc 

vould  n 

ables  o; 

hose  cal 


legph 


.vrerufr^tetfiif:, 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


IS 


"That's  true,"  said  the  Captain,  falling  into 

:ditation. 

"Yet,  all  the  same,"  went  on  Harman,  "this 

ap  Shiner  said  we  would  want  an  elec- 

cian,  and  that  he'd  come  as  electrician  him- 

f.    Says  he  has  a  good  knowledge  of  the 

)rk." 

"Oh,  he  said  that,  did  he?" 
"Yes,  and  I  guess  he  told  no  lie.   This  chap 
liner  is  no  bar  bummer  by  a  long  chalk.    I 
:kon  he's  all  there." 

The  Captain  made  no  reply.  He  was  think- 
y.  At  first  he  had  fancied  this  to  be  a  simple 
siness ;  some  rascal  person  or  syndicate  wish- 
l  to  cut  a  deep-sea  cable  and  so  interrupt 
mmunicatior.  between  the  business  centres, 
lere  were  only  two  or  three  Pacific  cables 
lere  this  piece  of  rascality  could  bring  any 
litful  results.  That  is  to  say,  there  were 
ly  two  or  three  cables  the  cutting  of  which 
)uld  not  have  been  negatived  by  collateral 
bles  or  wireless,  and  the  simple  cutting  of 
3se  cables  could  not  conceivably  produce  a 


W^4^F 


i6 


SEA  PLUNDER 


financial  result  worth  the  risk  and  the  cost  o 
an  expedition. 

But  this  was  evidently  more  than  a  simpli 
cutting  job,  since  the  presence  of  an  elec 
trician  was  required. 

"Look  here,"  said  he,  "where  is  this  mar 
Shiner  to  be  seen?" 

"Why,"  said  Harman,  "he's  to  be  seen  eas] 
enough  in  his  office  on  Market  Street." 

"Well,  let's  go  and  have  a  look  at  him,' 
said  the  Captain,  detaching  himself  from  thi 
mooring  bitt.  "He's  worth  investigating 
Would  he  be  in  now,  think  you?" 

"He  might,"  replied  Harman.  "Anyhow 
we  can  try." 

They  walked  away  together. 

Harman,  unlike  Blood,  was  a  typical  sailoi 
of  the  tramp  school,  a  man  who  knew  mon 
about  steam  winches  and  cargo  handling  than 
masts  and  yards.  He  was  all  right  to  look  at 
a  stocky  man  with  a  not  unpleasant  face,  i 
daring  eye,  and  a  fresh  colour,  but  his  certifi 
cates  were  not  to  match.  Drink  had  been  thi: 
gentleman's  ruin.    Had  he  been  a  lesser  man 


drink  v 
b'c'sle, 
somehc 
age  foi 
to  mak< 
ture  wi 
in  with 
tnew  h 
casiona 
keepers 
less  of  1 
life.  I 
"got  su 
lated  a 
to  keep 

The 
cheese, 
gots,  ai 
most  n 

Har 
at  a  cit 
was  un 
the  poi 
have  b 


"ms&isf^su 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


17 


rink  would  have  crushed  him  down  into  the 
j'c'sle.  As  it  was,  he  managed  to  get  along 
)mehow  by  his  wits.  He  had  not  made  a  voy- 
ge  for  two  years  now,  but  he  had  managed 
)  make  a  living;  he  had  been  endowed  by  na- 
ire  with  a  mind  active  as  a  squirrel.  He  was 
1  with  a  number  of  men:  ward  politicians 
new  him  as  a  useful  man,  and  used  him  oc- 
asionally.  Crimps  knew  him,  and  tavern 
eepers.  Had  he  been  more  of  a  scamp  and 
:ss  of  a  dreamer,  he  might  have  risen  high  in 
ife.  His  dream  was  of  a  big  fortune  to  be 
got  sudden  and  easy,"  and  this  dream,  stimu- 
ated  at  times  by  alcohol,  managed  somehow 
0  keep  him  poor. 

The  public  life  of  Frisco,  like  a  rotten 
heese,  supports  all  sorts  of  mites  and  mag- 
gots, and  the  wharf  edge  is  of  all  cheese  the 
nost  rotten  part. 

Harman  could  put  his  hand  on  men  to  vote 
It  a  city  election,  or  men  to  man  a  whaler;  he 
vas  under  political  protection,  he  was  in  with 
:he  port  officers  and  the  customs,  and  he  could 
lave  been  a  very  considerable  person  despite 


••-'** 


i8 


SEA  PLUNDER 


his  lack  of  education  but  for  the  drink.  Drink 
is  fatal  to  successful  scoundrelism,  and  thi 
form  in  which  it  afflicted  Harman  is  the  mos 
fatal  of  all,  for  he  was  not  a  consistent  toper 
He  would  go  sober  for  months  on  end,  anc 
then,  having  made  some  money  and  some  sue 
cess,  he  would  "fly  out." 

Having  reached  Market  Street,  Harmar 
led  his  companion  into  a  big  building  when 
an  elevator  whisked  them  up  to  the  fifth  floor 

Here,  at  the  end  of  a  concrete  passage,  Har 
man  pushed  open  a  door  inscribed  with  the 
legend  "The  Wolff  Syndicate,"  and,  entering 
an  outer  office,  inquired  for  Mr.  Shiner.  Thej 
were  shown  into  a  comfortably  furnished 
room  where  at  a  roll-top  desk  a  young  man 
was  seated  busily  at  work  with  a  stenographer 
at  his  side.  He  asked  them  to  be  seated,  fin 
ished  the  few  words  he  had  to  dictate,  and 
then,  having  dismissed  the  stenographer, 
turned  to  Harman, 

Shiner,  for  it  was  he,  was  a  very  glossy  in 
dividual,   immaculately   dressed   in   a   frod 


coat,  b 
leathei 

He 
he  wa 
man  v 
impie! 
spite  h 
which 
thing 
this  in 

The 
a  chaj 
corpse 
self,  " 
holdc 
here; 
Well, 

"Tl 
tain  B 
meetl 

"V€ 

Shine 
to  the 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


19 


coat,  broad-striped  trousers,  spats,  and  patent- 
leather  shoes. 

He  did  not  look  more  than  thirty — if  that — 
he  was  good  looking,  and  yet  a  frankly  ugly 
man  would  have  produced  a  more  pleasing 
impiession  on  the  mind  than  Mr.  Shiner.  De- 
spite his  good  looks,  his  youth,  and  his  manner, 
which  was  intended  to  please,  there  was  some- 
thing inexpressibly  hard  and  negative  about 
this  individual. 

The  Captain  felt  it  at  once.  "Now,  there's 
a  chap  that  would  do  you  in  and  sit  on  your 
corpse  and  eat  sandwiches,"  said  he  to  him- 
self, "and  smile — wonder  how  Harman  got  a 
hold  of  a  chap  like  that?  But  there's  money 
here;  the  place  smells  of  it,  and  the  chap,  too. 
Well,  we'll  see." 

"This  is  the  Captain,"  said  Harman.  "Cap- 
tain Blood  I  spoke  of  to  you.  I  happened  to 
meet  him,  and  he's  come  in  to  see  you." 

"Very  glad  to  see  you.  Captain,"  said 
Shiner,  getting  up  and  standing  with  his  back 
to  the  stove.    "Has  our  friend  Harman  men- 


K^^  _  ■  *s  . 


20 


SEA  PLUNDER 


tioned  to  you  anything  of  the  business  I  spoke 
of  to  him?" 

"He  told  me  it  was  cable  work,"  replied 
Blood  cautiously. 

"Just  so,"  said  Shiner.  "I  want  a  skipper 
for  some  work  in  connection  with  deep-sea 
cables.    You  have  experience,  I  supoose?" 

"Two  years  in  the  Grapnel,"  replied  Blood 

"You  were  skipper?" 

"No ;  first  officer." 

"Had  you  much  to  do  with  the  cable  work?" 

"Everything,  as  far  as  handling  the  cable. 
You  see,  in  some  companies  and  some  boats 
they  have  a  regular  cable  engineer,  a  chap 
who  doesn't  touch  any  work  but  cable  work; 
in  others,  the  chief  officer  does  his  work  and 
the  cable  work  as  well." 

"I  know,"  replied  Shiner,  nodding  his  head 
as  though  he  were  well  acquainted  with  all 
the  ins  and  outs  of  the  business.  "Well,  in 
this  affair  of  ours  the  skipper  would  be  skipper 
and  cable  engineer  as  well.  Thi. :  would  not 
interfere  with  his  proper  business,  since  once 


,.^^.;.-^ 


L.   -i:J^^-. 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


21 


he  cable  engineer  is  in  charge,  he  is  the  vir- 
ual  captain  of  the  ship." 

Blood  nodded,  wondering  how  this  up-to- 
late-looking  young  business  man  had  gained 
0  much  knowledge  about  this  special  branch 
if  seamanship. 

"Of  course  you  have  certificates,"  went  on 
ihiner.  "You  can  show  a  clean  sheet  for  char- 
cter  and  ability?" 

"Curse  his  impudence!"  thoug't  the  Cap- 
ain  to  himself;  then,  aloud:  "A  (  :an  sheet? 
•^0,  can  you?" 

Shiner,  who  had  been  standing  on  his  toes 
md  letting  himself  down  on  his  heels,  puffing 
>ut  his  chest,  shooting  his  cuffs,  and  otherwise 
;onducting  himself  like  a  man  in  power  and 
m  a  pedestal,  collapsed  at  this  dig.  He  flung 
lis  right  elbow  into  the  palm  of  his  left  hand, 
jinched  in  his  cheeks  with  his  right  thumb  and 
orefinger,  coughed,  frowned,  and  then  said: 

"I  can  excuse  a  sailor  for  being  short  in  his 
emper  before  a  question  that  would  seem  to 
mply  incapacity.  We  will  say  no  more  on 
hat  point.    I  take  your  word  that  you  are  an 


22 


SEA  PLUNDER 


efficient  navigator  and  a  capable  cable  engi 
neer." 

"You  needn't  take  anything  of  the  sort,' 
said  Blood.  ''I'm  a  bad  navigator,  and,  as  foi 
cable  engineering,  I  can  find  a  cable  if  I  have 
a  chart  of  it  and  howk  her  out  of  the  mud  if  I 
have  a  grapnel.  I  don't  say  that  doesn't  want 
doing;  still  that's  my  limit  as  a  cable  man. 
And  as  to  navigatio;  ,  I  can  just  carry  on.  I've 
lost  two  ships." 

"The  Jverna  and  the  Trojan/'  said  Shiner 

"Now,  how  in  the  nation  did  you  know 
that?"  cried  the  outraged  Blood. 

"I  know  most  things  about  most  men  in 
Frisco,"  replied  the  subtle  Shiner. 

"Well,  then,  you'll  know  my  back,"  replied 
Blood,  rising  from  his  chair,  "and  you  mav 
think  yourself  lucky  If  you  don't  know  my 
boot!"    He  turned  to  the  door. 

"Captain!  Captain!"  cried  Harman, 
springing  up.  ''Don't  take  on  so  for  nothing, 
The  gentleman  didn't  mean  nothing.  Don't 
you,  now,  be  a  fool,  for  it's  me  you'll  put  out 
of  a  job  as  well  as  yourself." 


"Wh 
then,  ar 
cried  B 
dung  ai 

"He 
no  har 
nothing 
Here,  i 
harm." 

Han 
found  ( 
larging 
innocer 
Blood 
anythir 

Shin 

"Thj 
voice, 
wrong, 
were  o 
thousar 
I'm  not 

"No' 
as  thoi 


,^?j^t;^ 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


23 


"What  made  him  ask  me  those  questions, 
len,  and  he  knowing  my  record  all  the  time?" 
ried  Blood,  around  whose  body  Harman  had 
ung  an  arm. 

"He  didn't  mean  no  harm;  he  didn't  mean 
0  harm.  Don't  you  be  carrying  on  so  for 
othing;  the  gentleman  didn't  mean  no  harm, 
lere,  now,  sit  you  down ;  he  didn't  mean  no 


» 


arm 

Harman  was  not  an  orator,  but  his  pro 
ound  common  sense  prevented  him  from  en- 
arging  on  the  subject  and  trying  to  suggest 
nnocent  things  that  Shiner  might  have  meant. 
Jlood  was  in  a  condition  of  mind  to  snap  at 
nything,  but  he  sat  down. 

Shiner  had  said  not  one  word. 

"That's  right,"  said  Harman,  in  a  soothing 
'oice.  "And  now,  Mr.  Shiner,  if  I'm  not 
vrong,  it  was  a  hundred  dollars  a  month  you 
vere  offering  the  Captain,  with  a  bonus  of  a 
housand  when  the  job's  through.  Maybe 
'm  not  mistaken  in  what  I  sav." 

"Not  a  bit,"  said  Shiner,  speaking  as  calmly 
IS  though   no   unpleasant   incident  had   oc- 


24 


SEA  PLUNDER 


curred.  "Those  are  the  terms,  with  an  ad- 
vance of  a  hundred  dollars  should  the  Captain 
engage  himself  to  us." 

"What  about  the  victuals,"  said  the  Captain, 
seeming  to  forget  his  late  emotion,  "and  the 
drinks?" 

"The  food  will  be  good,"  replied  Shiner, 
"and  the  best  guarantee  of  that  will  be  the  fact 
that  I  go  with  you  inj^self  as  electrician.  I'm 
not  the  man  to  condemn  myself  to  bad  food  for 
the  sake  of  a  few  dollars.  The  food  will  be 
the  best  you  have  ever  had  on  board  ship,  I 
suspect;  but  there  will  be  no  drinks." 

"No  drinks?" 

"Not  till  we  are  paid  off.  This  business 
wants  ^ool  hands.  Tea,  coffee,  mineral  waters 
you  will  have  as  much  as  you  want  of;  but  not 
one  drop  of  alcohol.  I  am  condemning  my- 
self as  well  as  you,  so  there  is  no  room  for 
grumbling." 

Harman  heaved  a  sigh  like  the  sigh  of  a 
porpoise.  Blood  was  silent  for  a  moment 
Then  he  said :  "Well,  I  don't  mind.  I'm  noi 
set  on  alcohol.    If  it's  to  be  a  teetotal  ship. 


maybe 
pay  wi 
"Wti 
though 
"A  j 
said  th 
pence, 
know  V 
I'll  tal 
fair." 

"Vei 

Anythi 

"No 

"Wli 

"Wh 

"We 

"An( 

"Iw 

have  s« 

should 

here  at 

"Yes 

"Vei 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


25 


naybe  it's  all  the  better;  but  I  reckon  you'll 
)ay  wind  money  all  the  same." 

"What's  this  they  allow?"  asked  Shiner,  as 
hough  he  had  forgotten  this  point. 

"A  shilling  a  day  on  the  English  ships," 
aid  the  Captain,  "for  the  officers.  Eighteen 
)ence,  some  of  the  companies  make  it.  I  don't 
:now  what  the  sk'pper  gets.  I  reckon  double. 
'11  take  half  a  dollar  a  day.    That's  about 


i» 


air. 

"Very  well,"  said  Shiner.  "I  meet  you. 
Anything  more?" 

"No,"  said  the  Captain.   "I  guess  that's  all." 

"When  can  you  start?"  asked  Shiner. 

"When  you're  ready." 

"Well,  that  will  be  about  this  day  week." 

"And  the  advance?" 

"I  will  pay  you  that  to-morrow,  when  you 
lave  seen  over  the  ship.  It's  just  as  well  you 
hould  have  a  look  at  her  first.  Can  you  be 
lere  at  ten  o'clock  to-morrow  morning?" 

"Yes,  I  can  be  here." 

"Very  well,  then.    You  had  better  come, 


26 


SEA  PLUNDER 


too,  Mr.  Harman.  I  will  expect  you  both  at 
ten  o'clock  sharp.    Good  day  to  you." 

They  went  out. 

Going  down  in  the  elevator,  they  said 
nothing. 

It  will  have  been  noticed  that  not  one  of  the 
three  men  had  made  any  remark  on  the  real 
nature  of  the  forthcoming  expedition.  It  was 
admittedly  dark.  The  amount  of  pay  and  the 
bonus  were  quite  enough  to  throw  light  on  the 
edges  of  the  affair.  Blood  did  not  want  to  ex- 
plore farther.  It  wasn't  the  first  dark  job  he'd 
been  on,  and  the  less  he  knew  the  more  easily 
could  he  swear  to  innocence  in  case  of  -^apture. 

Harman  seemed  of  this  way  of  thinking 
also,  for,  when  they  turned  into  the  street,  all 
he  said  was: 

"Well,  come  and  have  a  drink." 

"I  don't  mind,"  said  Blood.  "I'm  not  a 
drinking  man,  as  a  ruh;  but  that  chap  has 
made  me  feel  dry  somehow  or  another." 

He  had  taken  a  black  dislike  to  Shiner. 


^r<2^  "-^ 


II 


THE  "PENGUIN" 


Near  the  docks  where  the  China  boats  come 
in,  there  lies  an  old  wharf  gone  pretty  much  to 
decay.  Rafferty's  Wharf  is  the  name  it  goes 
by.  It  bears  about  the  same  relationship  to  the 
modern  sea  front  that  Monterey  bears  to  San 
Francisco,  for  its  rotten  piles,  bored  by  sea 
weevils  and  waving  their  weeds  languidly  to 
the  green  water  that  washes  them,  were  young 
in  the  days  when  grain  went  aboard  ship  by  the 
sackful  and  the  tank  ships  of  the  Standard  Oil 
Company  were  floating  only  in  the  un- 
dreamed-of future. 

If  you  hunt  for  it,  you  will  find  it  very  diffi- 
cult to  discover;  and  if  you  discover  it,  you 
will  gain  linle  by  your  discovery  but  melan- 
choly. 

The  great  grain  elevators  pouring  their  riv- 
ers of  wheat  into  the  holds  of  the  great  grain 

27 


28 


SEA  PLUNDER 


freighters  overshadow  it  with  their  majestyj 
and  go  as  often  as  you  will,  there  is  never  aj 
decent,  live  ship  moored  to  its  bitts. 

The  cripples  of  the  sea  are  brought  here  for, 
a  ren,  or  for  sale,  before  starting  with  a  lasJ 
kick  of  their  propellers  for  the  breaking-upl 
yards ;  and  here,  on  this  bright  morning,  w  herj 
Mr.  Shiner  and  his  two  seafaring  companions! 
appeared  on  the  scene,  this  veritable  cripplJ 
home  only  showed  two  inmates — a  brig  and  a| 
grey-painted,  single-funnelled  steamship  with 
rust  runnings  staining  her  paint,  verdigris  on 
her  brasswork,  no  boats  at  her  davits,  and  al 
general  air  of  neglect,  slovenliness,  and  dis- 
reputability  beggaring  description. 

The  Penguin  had  never  been  a  beauty  tol 
look  at,  and  she  had  always  been  a  beast  to  roll; 
even  rolling  plates,  though  they  had  improved 
her  a  bit,  had  not  cured  her.  She  had  only  one| 
good  point— speed— and  that  was  an  accident; 
she  had  not  been  built  for  speed;  she  had  been| 
built  to  carry  cable  and  to  lay  it  and  mend  it; 
speed  had  come  to  her  by  that  law  which  rulesl 
that  to  every  ship  built  comes  soi  ^e  quality  or 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


29 


efect  not  reckoned  for  by  the  designer  and 
milder. 

Shiner  &  Co.,  having  hailed  the  watchmen, 
crossed  the  gangplank  to  the  desolate  deck, 
he  Captain  with  frank  disapproval  on  his 
ace,  Harman  sniffing  and  trying  to  look 
cheerful  at  the  same  time,  like  a  salesman 
seeping  a  fair  face  above  the  rotten  game  he  is 
offering  for  sale. 

"Great  Neptune!"  said  the  Captain,  glanc- 
ng  around  him. 

"She  is  a  bit  gone  to  neglect,"  said  Shiner, 
'but  it's  all  on  the  surface.    She's  as  sound  as 

bell  where  it  really  matters." 

"Them  funnel  guys,"  said  Harman. 

"Yes,  they  want  tightening,  and  the  want  of 
)oats  doesn't  make  her  look  any  better;  but 
)oats  will  be  supplied  according  to  regulation. 
You  won't  know  her  when  I've  had  half  a 
dozen  fellows  at  her  for  a  couple  of  days.  All 
that  brasswork  wants  doing,  and  a  lick  of  paint 
(vill  liven  her  up;  but  she's  not  a  yacht,  any- 
how, and  a  sound  deck  under  one's  feet  is  a 
long  way  better  than  a  good  appearance." 


30 


SEA  PLUNDER 


He  followed  the  Captain,  who  had  walked 
forward  to  the  bow,  where  the  picking-up  gear 
cumbered  the  deck. 

This  consisted  of  a  huge  drum  moved  by 
cogwheels  and  worked  through  the  picking-up 
engine  by  steam  from  the  main  boilers.  On  i 
would  be  wound  the  grapnel  rope  used  fo 
grappling  for  cable  over  the  wheel  let  into  the 
bow  just  at  the  point  where  in  ordinary  ships 
the  heel  of  the  bowsprit  is  grasped  by  the 
knightheads. 

The  Captain  inspected  this  machme  with  at 
tention,  pressing  on  the  cogs  of  the  driving 
wheel  with  his  thumb  as  though  they  were 
soft  and  he  wished  to  discover  how  much  thev 
would  dent;  then,  standing  off  a  bit,  he  looked 
at  it  with  his  head  on  one  side,  as  a  knowing 
purchaser  might  look  at  a  horse. 

"Wants  a  drop  of  lubricating  oil,"  said 
Shiner  tentatively, 

"Gallons,"  replied  the  Captain.  He  turned 
to  the  picking-up  engine  and  pulled  the  lever 
over.    This  he  did  several  times,  rcleasins  it 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


31 


md  then  pulling  it  over  again  as  if  for  the 
loomy  pleasure  of  feeling  its  defects. 

"Well,"  said  Shiner,  "what  do  you  think  of 
the  gear  and  engine?" 

"Oh,  they'll  work,"  said  the  Captain,  "but 
it  will  be  a  good  job  if  they  don't  work  off 
their  bedplates." 

"They'll  hold  tight  enough,"  said  Harman, 
pressing  his  foot  on  the  brake  of  the  engine. 
"There's  nothing  wrong  with  them  on  the  in- 
side.   Let's  have  a  look  at  the  main." 

They  came  aft  past  the  electrical  testing 
room,  and  passed  down  the  companionway  to 
the  engine  room. 

Here  things  were  brighter,  the  weather  hav- 
ing worked  no  effect. 

"I  have  had  them  examined  by  an  expert," 
said  Shiner.  "He  gave  them  an  A-i  certifi- 
cate. And  the  boilers  are  sound;  they  have 
been  scaled  and  cleaned.  Let's  go  and  look  at 
the  saloon." 

They  came  on  deck,  and  Shiner  led  the  way 
c  »\vn  the  companionway  to  the  saloon. 

It  was  a  big  place,  with  a  table  running 


■^^^ff^^m^^ 


32 


SEA  PLUNDER 


down  the  middle  capable  of  seating  twenty  oj 
thirty  at  a  crush.  Cabin  doors  opened  oJ 
either  side  of  it;  at  the  stern  end  it  bayed  oul 
into  a  lounge  and  a  couch  upholstered  in  re( 
velvet;  and  at  the  end,  by  the  door  leading  tJ 
the  companionway,  was  fixed  a  huge  sideboard 
with  a  mirror  backing. 

A  faint  air  of  old  festivity  and  an  odour  of 
must  and  mildew  lent  their  melancholy  to  th( 
dim,  irreligious  light  streaming  down  througtl 
the  dirty  skylight. 

The  Captain  sniflfed.    Then  he  peeped  intcl 
the  cabins  on  either  side,  noticed  the  cockj 
roaches  that  made  hussar  rushes  for  shelter 
the  fact  that  the  doors  stuck  in  their  jambs 
that  the  bunks  were  destitute  of  bedding,  and 
the  scuttles  of  the  portholes  sealed  tight  withj 
verdigris. 

"You  can  have  the  starboard  cabin  by  thel 
door,"  said  Shiner.  "I'll  take  the  port.  Or[ 
you  can  take  the  chart  room;  there's  a  bunJ 
there.  Harman  can  have  any  o^  the  other! 
cabins  he  likes.  We'll  all  mess  here,  and  we 
won't  grumble  at  being  tightly  packed." 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


33 


"You'll  have  decent  bedding  put  in?"  said 
the  Captain. 

"That  will  be  done,  all  right,"  replied 
Shiner.  "You  need  have  no  fear  at  all  that  the 
appointments  won't  be  up  to  date.  There 
won't  be  frills  on  the  sheets,  but  there  will  be 
comfort." 

"Well,  comfort  is  all  I  ask,"  replied  the 
Captain.  "And  you  propose  to  put  out  this 
day  week?" 

"This  day  week.  May  I  take  it,  now,  that 
everything  is  settled?" 

The  Captain  scratched  his  head  for  a  mo- 
ment, as  if  dislodging  a  last  objection.  Then 
he  said: 

"I'll  come." 


Ill 

THE  TOP  SEAT  AT  THE  TABLE 

It  was  on  a  Tuesday  morning  that  thev 
started.  Blood  came  on  board  at  six,  and 
found  the  majority  of  the  crew  already  as 
sembled  under  Harman.  They  had  come  on 
board  the  night  before,  and,  to  use  his  own 
expression,  they  were  the  roughest,  toughest 
crowd  he  had  ever  seen  collected  on  one  deck. 

He  was  just  the  man  to  handle  them,  and  his 
first  act  was  to  boot  a  fellow  off  the  bridge 
steps  where  he  had  taken  his  perch,  pipe  in 
mouth,  and  send  him  flying  down  the  alley- 
way forward.  Then,  following  him,  he  began 
to  talk  to  the  hands,  sending  them  flying  this 
way  and  that,  some  to  clean  brasswork  and 
others  to  clear  the  raflle  off  the  decks 

Down  below,  the  boilers  were  beginning  to 
rumble,  and  now  appeared  at  the  pngine-roora 
hatch  a  new  figure,  with  the  air  of  a  Scotch  ter- 

34 


i'jii^.-..jfc,:c; 


j^^fL... 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


35 


ier  poking  up  its  head  to  have  a  look  round. 

It  was  MacBean,  the  chief,  second,  third, 
ind  fourth  engineer  in  one. 

MacBean  had  the  honest  look  of  a  Dandie 
Dinmont,  and  something  of  the  facial  expres- 
lion.  He  was  an  efficient  engineer;  he  was  on 
)oard  the  Penguin  because  he  could  not  get 
mother  job,  and  that  fact  was  not  a  certifi- 
;ate  of  character.  There  was  scarcely  a  soul 
)n  board  the  Penguin,  indeed,  with  the  excep- 
ion  of  Shiner,  who  would  not  have  been  some- 
vhere  else  but  for  circumstances  over  which 
hey  had  no  control. 

The  Captain  gave  MacBean  good  morning, 
lad  a  moment's  talk  with  him,  and  then  went 
ift  to  see  how  things  were  going  there. 

He  found  that  a  steward  had  been  installed, 
md  that  he  was  in  the  act  of  laying  breakfast 
hings  at  one  end  of  the  breakfast  table. 

The  Captain  sent  him  up  for  his  gear  which 
vas  on  deck,  ordered  him  to  place  it  in  the 
:abin  which  he  had  selected,  and  then  pro- 
:eeded  to  change  from  the  serge  suit  which  he 


36 


SEA  PLUNDER 


wore  into  an  old  uniform  dating  from  his  last 
command  in  the  Black  Bird  line. 

As  he  was  finishing  his  toilet,  he  heard 
Shiner's  voice,  and  when  he  came  out  of  his 
cabin  he  found  Shiner  and  Harman  seated  a 
table  and  the  steward  serving  breakfast. 

Shiner  had  gotten  himself  up  for  the  sea. 
He  looked  as  though  he  were  off  for  some 
cheap  trip  with  a  brass  band  in  attendance 
Very  few  people  can  bear  yachting  rig,  espe- 
cially when  it  is  brand-new;  and  brass  buttons 
with  anchors  on  them  are  as  trying  to  a  man's 
gentility  as  mauve  to  a  woman's  complexion. 

The  Captain  gave  the  others  good  morning 
Two  things  gratified  him:  the  sight  of  the 
good  breakfast  spread  upon  the  table,  and  the 
fact  that  the  ciiair  at  the  head  of  the  table  was 
vacant  and  evidently  reserved  for  him. 

He  was  about  to  take  his  seat  when  Shine, 
stopped  him. 

"Excuse  me,''  said  he,  "but  thit  is  Mr. 
Wolff's  place." 

"Mr.  Wolff's  place?"  said  Blood.  "And 
who  the  deuce  is  Mr.  WolflF?" 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


37 


"Our  senior  partner,"  said  Shiner,     "I'm 

pecting  him  every  minute." 

Then  it  was  that  the  Captain  n  uiced  a  covf  r 

d  beside  Harman  and  evidc'ly  intended 

■  him. 

The  temper  of  the  man  was  not  intended  by 

tui'e  to  take  calmly  an  incident  like  this. 

rhe  steward  was  listening,  too. 

'I'll  give  you  to  understand  right  away  and 

re,  now,"  said  he,  "that  I'm  the  skipper  of 

s  tub,  and  that  this  is  my  placf  at  the  table. 

s  as  well  to  begin  as  we  intend  to  go  on. 

:ward,  look  alive  there  with  the  coflFee." 

He  took  his  seat  at  the  head  of  the  table, 

Iped  himself  to  eggs  and  bacon,  and  turned 

conversation  on  Harman.    Shiner  flushed, 
iitated,  lost  his  balance,  and  subsided  into 

coflFee  cup.  The  Captain  at  a  stroke  had 
:en  his  position  among  the  after  guard. 
3\f(  might  own  the  ship,  and  Shiner,  too,  it 
1  not  matter  in  the  least.  The  Captain  was 
;s,  and  would  remain  so. 
[n  a  moment,  when  he  had  finished  saying 


38 


SEA  PLUNDER 


what  he  had  to  say  to  Harman,  he  turned  to 
the  other. 

"Of  course,"  said  he,  "I  can't  stop  you 
bringing  all  the  supercargoes  you  like  on 
board "    He  stopped,  told  the  steward  to 


clear  out  of  the  saloon,  and  then,  when  the  man 
had  disappeared,  went  on :  "Considering  I've 
let  myself  in  for  this  thing  with  my  eyes  shut, 
I've  no  right  to  complain  if  you  brought  bears 
on  board,  to  say  nothing  of  wolves;  but  I' 
have  taken  it  kinder  if  you  had  let  me  know 
right  off  at  the  beginning  that  the  whole  firm 
was  going  on  the  cruise." 

"Look  here,  Captain,"  said  Shiner,  "you 
have  spoken  truth  without  knowing  it.  Wolff 
is  the  whole  firm  practically.  He's  the  bos 
of  this  business,  to  all  intents  and  purposes; 
he's  the  money  behind  it  all,  and  the  brain,  and 
he  did  not  want  to  advertise  the  fact  that  he 
was  coming  on  board,  I  suppose,  for  he  is  a 
man  pretty  well  known  in  the  States.  Any 
how,  there  are  the  facts.  WolflF  is  a  man  that 
/  don't  mind  playing  second  fiddle  to ;  and  if 
I  don't  mind,  I  don't  see  why  you  should." 


"Oh, 

I  do.  ] 
remain, 
dollars 
this  pir 
without 

"Wh; 
who  ha 
had  bee 
dispute. 

"It's 
of  a  mi 
table." 

"Whi 
asked  S! 
reputati 
thing  in 
better  f( 
words, 
flung  ab 

"Wei; 
like.    I 
on,  and 
word :  hi 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


39 


"Oh,  don't  you?"  said  the  Captain.    "Well, 

do.  I'm  captain  of  this  tub,  and  captain  I'll 
emain.  I'm  risking  enough  for  a  hundred 
ollars  a  month  and  a  bonus  of  a  thousand  if 
lis  piracy,  whatever  it  is,  of  yours,  comes  oflF, 
rithout  losing  my  status  quo  as  well." 

"What's  that?"  asked  the  illiterate  Harman, 
ho  had  laid  down  the  knife  with  which  he 
ad  been  eating  so  as  to  attend  better  to  the 
ispute. 

"It's  what  you'll  never  have — the  position 
f  a  master  mariner  and  the  top  seat  at  the 
ible." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that  word  'piracy'?" 
iked  Shiner,  with  the  air  of  a  woman  whose 
iputation  is  attacked.  "There  is  no  such 
ling  in  this  business,  and  it  would  be  a  lot 
:tter  for  you  to  be  more  careful  with  your 
ords.  Words  are  dangerous  weapons  when 
ing  about  like  that." 

"Well,"  said  the  Captain,  "call  it  what  you 
ke.  I  don't  know  what  it  is,  but  I've  signed 
1,  and  I'm  not  the  man  to  go  back  on  my 
ord ;  but,  as  I  just  said,  I  don't  know  what  we 


40 


SEA  PLUNDER 


are  after,  and  I  don't  much  care,  as  long  at  .ve 
steer  clear  of  the  gallows." 

"Don't  be  talking  like  that,"  said  Harman 
"Mr.  Shiner,  here,  ain't  such  a  fool  as  to  go 
within  smellin'  distance  of  any  hanging  mat- 
ter. What  we  are  after  may  be  a  bit  oflf  colour, 
but  it's  a  business  venture  in  the  main.  I've 
asked  no  questions,  but  Mr.  Shiner  has  given 
me  to  understand  that  it  was  business  he  was 
after,  not  anything  that  would  lay  us  by  the 
heels,  so  to  speak,  in  any  killing  matter." 

"What  we  are  after  is  perfectly  plain,"  said 
Shiner.  "Killing!  Who  talked  of  killing? 
This  is,  just  as  you  say,  a  business  matter,  and 
it's  no  worse  than  what's  being  done  in  Frisco 
every  day,  only  it's  a  bit  more  adventurous." 

The  precious  trio  finished  their  breakfast 
without  any  more  words,  and  then  went  on 
deck.  They  had  scarcely  reached  it  when 
across  the  gangplank  came  a  stout,  black- 
bearded  individual  followed  by  a  couple  of 
wharf  rats,  one  bearing  luggage,  the  other  t\\o 
big  cases. 

This  was  Wolff. 


.r*;'7>?'^M«,._-^^    fV3i«2; 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


41 


Shiner  introduced  him  to  the  Captain,  and 
then  Wolff,  followed  by  the  luggage  and  the 
cases,  disappeared  below. 

"He's  not  a  good  sailor,"  said  Shiner,  "but 
he'll  be  all  right  after  a  day  or  two.  Ah,  here 
come  the  port  authorities.  I'll  have  a  talk 
with  them.  You  are  all  right  for  starting,  I 
suppose?" 

"Yes,"  said  the  Captain.  "I'm  ready  to  cast 
off  when  you  are." 

"Right!"  said  Shiner. 

He  took  the  port  officers  down  to  the  saloon, 
and  when  they  came  up  again  they  were  all 
smoking  half-dollar  perfectos  and  the  traces 
of  conviviality  and  good-fellowship  were  evi- 
dent. 

"They've  been  having  drinks,"  said  Har- 
man  to  himself.  "Wouldn't  wonder  if  there 
was  lush  in  those  cases  Wolff  brought  aboard. 
No  tellin'." 


IV 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  "PENGUIN" 


It  was  noon  when  the  hawsers  were  cast  off! 
and  Captain  Blood,  in  all  the  glory  of  com- 
mand, standing  on  the  bridge,  rang  up  the  en- 
gines and  put  the  telegraph  to  half  speed  | 
ahead. 

It  was  a  glorious  day,  not  a  cloud  in  the  sky, 
and  scarcely  a  ripple  of  breeze  on  the  water. 
The  breeze,  just  sufficient  to  shake  the  trade] 
flags  of  the  shipping,  brought  with  it  the  whis- 
tling of  ferryboats,  the  hammering  of  boiler  | 
iron  from  the  shipyards,  and  a  thousand  voices 
from  the  multitude  of  ships. 

They  nearly  scraped  the  stern  wheel  off  a  I 
Stockton  river  boat,  and  then,  as  if  sheering  | 
off  from  the  blasphemy  of  the  Stocktonites, 
nosed  round  and  passed  the  buoy  that  marks  I 
the  shoal  water  west  of  Hennessy's  Wharf. 
Then  down  the  bay  they  went  with  the  sun- 

42 


^mmm^J-Mmfj^^^^^^'t 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


43 


light  on  Alcatraz  and  the  Contre  Costa  shore, 
and  away  ahead  the  Golden  Gate  and  a  vision 
of  the  blue  Pacific. 

They  passed  Sime  Point  and  took  the  mid- 
dle channel,  where  the  first  heave  of  the  outer 
sea  striding  over  the  bar  met  them  with  a 
keener  touch  of  wind  to  back  it.  The  Cliff 
House  and  Point  Bonita  fell  astern,  and  now, 
right  ahead,  the  Farallons  sketched  themselves 
away  across  the  lonely  blue  of  the  sea. 

The  Penguin,  bow  on  to  the  swell,  was  be- 
having admirably,  so  well,  indeed,  that  Wolff, 
with  a  cigar  in  his  mouth,  had  appeared  on 
deck  and  climbed  onto  the  bridge.  But  now, 
clear  of  the  land  and  with  a  shift  of  helm,  the 
beam  sea  produced  its  effect,  and  her  rolling 
capacities  became  evident. 

Wolff  descended,  leaving  the  bridge  to  its 
lawful  occupants,  and  even  Shiner,  who  had 
taken  his  place  on  the  after  gratings  with  an 
account  book  and  stylograph  pen,  retired  after 
avery  little  while. 

The  Penguin  was  built  to  hold  a  thousand 
miles  of  cable  in  her  fore  end  and  after  tanks. 


44 


SEA  PLUNDER 


and,  loaded  like  that,  the  effect  of  her  top- 
hamper  in  the  way  of  picking-up  gear,  pick- 
ing-up  engine,  derricks,  and  buoys  would  be| 
corrected.    But  she  had  no  cable  in  her  now, 
only  water  ballast,  and  she  rolled  after  her  nat- 
ural bent,  and  rolled  and  rolled  till  cries  ofl 
"Steward!"  came  faintly  through  the  saloon] 
hatch,  followed  by  other  sounds  and  the  clink- 
ing of  basins. 

Blood  walked  the  bridge  with   Harmanl 
casting  now  and  then  an  eye  at  the  compass 
card  and  the  fellow  at  the  wheel,  and  now  and 
then  an  eye  at  the  forward  deck  lumbered  with| 
the  gear  and  four  or  five  new-painted  buoys, 
each  numbered  and  each  with  a  lamp  socket. 

"They  haven't  spared  expense  in  fitting  her| 
out,"  said  Harman. 

"No,  they  haven't,"  replied  the  Captain, 
"And  why?  Simply  because  I've  been  at  I 
Shiner  all  the  past  week  with  a  rope's  end,  so 
to  say.  I'm  blessed  if  the  blighter  didn't  want 
to  economise  on  buoys  I  'Two  will  be  enough,'  | 
says  he;  'it's  only  a  short  job  we  are  on,  and 
they  arc  three  hundred  dollars  apiece.'    Hei 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


45 


said  that  right  to  my  face.  'Well,'  said  I,  'it's 
none  o'  my  business,  but  if  you  want  to  drop 
the  job,  whatever  it  is,  in  the  middle,  and  run 
a  thousand  miles  to  the  nearest  port  for  a  ten- 
cent  buoy,  you'll  find  your  economy  has  been 
misplaced.  You  will  that.'  So  he  caved  in 
on  the  buoys.  Then  we  had  an  argument  over 
the  grapnel  rope.  He  wanted  to  take  two 
miles  of  all  hemp.  I  wanted  five  miles  of  wire 
wove.  I  got  it,  but  only  after  a  mighty  tough 
struggle.  The  grapnels  are  good,  but  they 
went  with  the  ship,  and  they'd  been  properly 
laid  up  in  paraffin ;  not  a  speck  on  them.  Then 
the  Kelvin  sounder  was  out  of  order.  Yes,, 
they'd  have  sailed  with  it  like  that  only  for  me, 
and  it  cost  them  something  to  have  it  put 
right." 

"What  I'm  thinking,"  said  Harman,  "is 
that  this  expedition  is  costing  a  good  deal  of 
money." 

"It's  costing  all  of  five  hundred  dollars  a 

day." 

"What  I'm  thinking,"  went  on  Harman, 
"is  that  the  profits  to  come  out  of  whatever 


46 


SEA  PLUNDER 


they  are  going  to  do  must  be  huge,  big  profits 
to  cover  the  expenses,  and  I've  taken  notice 
that  when  chaps  are  ketched  going  on  thel 
crooked  where  money  is  c  incerned,  they  al- 
ways gets  a  bigger  doing  from  the  law  the  big- 
ger the  money  is.  It's  this  way :  if  a  chap  nails 
a  suit  of  clothes,  or  a  ham,  he  don't  get  as  mucli 
as  a  chap  that  nicks  a  motor  boat,  shall  we 
say,  and  the  chap  that  nicks  a  motor  boat] 
don't " 

"Oh,  shut  upl"  said  the  Captain.  "We'rel 
in  for  it.  whatever  it  is,  and  our  only  hope's 
our  innocence  if  we're  caught.  We  don't  know 
anything;  we  are  only  obeying  the  orders  of 
the  owner".  Not  that  that  will  have  much 
weight  if  we  are  caught,  but  we're  not  going 
to  be.  I've  a  firm  belief  in  that  slippery  eel  of 
a  Shiner,  much  as  I  dislike  him;  and  this  chap 
WolfT  doesn't  seem  a  fool,  either.  They're 
not  the  sort  of  fellows  to  run  their  skins  into| 
much  danger." 

"What  do  you  think  it  is?"  asked  Harman. 
Think  what  is?" 

"This  game  of  theirs." 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


47 


"Well,  I'll  tell  you  what  I  think.  I  think 
they  are  going  to  pick  up  a  cable,  cut  it,  and 
tap  it." 

"Whatcha  mean  by  tapping  it?" 

"Sucking  the  news  out  of  it.  Or  maybe 
they're  going  to  use  it  for  sending  some  lying 
message  that'll  upset  the  stock  markets,  or 
grain  markets,  or  railway  people.  Lord  bless 
you,  there's  a  hundred  things  to  be  done  if  one 
has  the  business  end  of  a  real  deep-sea  cable 
with  a  big  city  like  Frisco  or  maybe  Sydney 
at  the  other  end." 

"Well,  maybe  there  is,"  said  Harman. 
"There's  a  good  many  things  to  be  done  in 
Frisco  oflf  the  square,  without  a  cable,  and 
there's  no  sayin'  what  mightn't  be  done  with 
one." 

"I  reckon  you're  a  judge  of  that,"  laughed 
the  Captain. 

"Oh,  I'm  pretty  well  up  to  the  tricks  of 
Frisco,"  said  the  other  complacently.  "But 
this  is  a  new  traverse,  fooling  folk  from  the 
middle  of  the  ocean,  one  might  say.  I  reckon 
Wolff  is  a  German,  ain't  he?" 


48 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Yes,  he's  a  Dutchman,  all  right;  so's 
Shiner,  I  reckon.  German  Jew.  It  lands  me 
how  those  sort  of  chaps  get  on  and  make 
money,  and  the  likes  of  us  has  to  take  their 
orders  and  their  leavings.  I'd  like  to  get  even| 
with  them  once." 

"Well,  maybe  you  will,"  said  Harman. 

The  Captain  grunted. 

There  was  a  fellow  on  board  named  Bow 
ers.    He  had  been  given  the  post  of  bos'n,  and| 
he  knew  something  of  navigation  and  coulii 
keep  a  watch  on  the  bridge. 

The  Captain  called  for  him  now  and  gavel 
the  bridge  over  to  him,  as  all  was  plain  sailing 
with  the  California  coast  away  on  the  porij 
quarter,  the  Farallons  on  th2  starboard  bow 
and  the  whole  blue  Pacific  Ocean  right  ahead 

He  and  Harman,  leaving  the  bridge,  soughil 
the  chart  room  and  went  in  there  for  a  smoke. i 
It  was  a  pleasant  place,  full  of  light,  and  vvitli 
a  couch  running  along  one  side.  By  the  door 
stood  a  rack  of  rifles,  eight  in  number,  and  for 
every  rifle  a  cutlass. 

Cable  ships  go  armed.    They  never  know! 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


49 


when  they  leave  port  to  do  a  job,  what  new  job 
may  not  suddenly  call  them  to  the  Patagonian 
beaches  or  the  fo;^s  of  the  Yellow  Sea.  The 
rifles  and  cutlasses  were  part  of  the  fixtures 
belonging  to  the  Penguin  and  taken  over  by 
the  new  owners,  just  as  fixtures  are  taken  over 
with  a  house.  To  use  them  for  their  proper 
purpose  could  never  have  occurred  to  the 
minds  of  Shiner,  Wolff  &  Co.  They  were 
not  men  of  violence.  The  strange  thing,  in- 
deed, about  this  expedition,  organised  and 
manned  for  lawless  work  on  the  deep  sea,  was 
the  fact  that  the  chiefs  were,  to  use  Harman's 
phrase,  "sure-enough  city  men,"  and  that  they 
were  even  now  down  below  dead  sick  with  the 
Pacific's  first  fringe  of  swell. 

Harman  took  a  rifle  down  and  examined  it, 
while  Blood,  extending  his  leg  on  the  couch, 
lit  a  pipe. 

"Say,"  said  Harman,  "are  you  any  good  as 
a  shot?" 

"Not  with  a  thing  like  that,"  replied  the 
Captain.  "I  can  hit  a  man  with  a  revolver  at 
ten  paces,  and  that's  all  the  good  shooting  I 


50 


SEA  PLUNDER 


want.    Put  that  thing  down  and  don't  be  fool- 
ing with  it." 

"It's  not  loaded,"  replied  Harman,  who  had] 
opened  the  breech. 

"And  it's  not  likely  to  be,"  replied  the  other, I 
"for  there's  no  ammunition  on  board  and  no 
need  for  it.  If  we're  caught,  there  must  be| 
no  fighting," 

"Why,  I  thought  you  w?s  a  fighting  man," 
said  Harman,  putting  the  rifle  back.    "You  I 
have  the  name  for  it. ' 

"And  so  I  am,  when  fighting  is  to  be  had  on 
the  square;  but  there's  fighting  and  fighting. 
Can't  you  see,  if  we  were  caught  tinkering  at  I 
some  cable  we  had  no  right  to  be  meddling 
with,  and  if  we  were  chased  by  some  gunboat, 
and  if  we  were  to  fight  and  draw  blood — can't 
you  see  we'd  be  hanged .  without  benefit  of  I 
clergy?  No,  I  never  fight  against  the  law, 
Never  have  and  never  will." 

"Suppose  a  cruiser  overhauled  her  when  we 
was  at  work?"  said  Harman. 

"Well,  what's  easier  to  say  than  that  we  I 
were  sent  to  mend?    We  are  a  sure-enough 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


51 


cable  ship,  and  how's  a  cruiser  to  know 
whether  the  cable  we  are  fishing  for  or  tinker- 
ing with  isn't  broken?  Oh,  no ;  you  may  make 
your  mind  easy  on  that.  Our  position  is  sound 
and  safe,  on  the  outside.  Inside  it's  as  rotten 
as  punk." 


'^^a^^^mrl 


THE  CABLE  MESSAGE 

The  Penguin,  steering  a  sou-sou'westerly 
course,  slipped  day  by  day  into  warmer  and 
bluer  seas.  Wolff,  recovering  from  his  first 
unpleasantness,  appeared  on  deck,  cigar  in 
mouth ;  and  Shiner,  with  nothing  better  to  do, 
would  be  seen  lounging  on  the  after  gratings 
with  a  novel  in  his  hand. 

The  Captain  and  Harman  worked  the  ship, 
and  had  little  to  do  with  the  others,  meeting 
them  chiefly  at  table,  where,  needless  to  say, 
the  Captain  took  the  head.  Wolff  had  given 
him  a  chart  of  the  Pacific  whereon  was  laid 
down  the  exact  position  of  the  cable  they  were 
going  to  attend  to. 

"This  is  the  chart,"  Wolff  had  said.  "You 
will  see,  there  is  the  cable.  It  is  plainly 
marked.  I  wish  you  to  bring  us  to  it  about 
here."    He  made  a  pencil  mark  on  the  cable 

52 


^^. 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


53 


line.  "And  when  you  have  brought  us  to  that 
point,  then  I  will  explain  to  you  the  object  of 
this  expedition." 

"Right!"  said  the  Captain. 

They  were  steering  now  for  the  cable  line 
through  days  of  sapphire  and  nights  wonder- 
ful with  stars.  Now  and  then  they  would 
raise  an  island,  a  peak  with  a  turban  of  clouds, 
or  an  atoll,  just  a  green  ring  of  palms  and 
breadfruits  surrounded  by  a  white  ring  of 
foam,  and  peak  and  atoll  would  heave  in  sight 
and  sink  from  sight  with  nothmg  to  tell  of  the 
legerdemain  at  work  but  the  pounding  of  the 
screw  and  the  throb  of  the  engines. 

Sometimes  a  sail  would  heave  in  sight,  or 
the  far-off  smoke  of  a  steamer  hold  the  im- 
agination for  an  hour  or  two,  and  then  be 
painted  out,  leaving  nothing  but  the  sea,  the 
sky,  and  the  pearl-white  trace  of  cloud 
draping  the  skirts  of  the  warm  trade  wind. 

There  is  no  place  in  the  world  where  griev- 
ances sprout  so  well  and  grow  so  rapidly  as  on 
board  ship.  The  Captain  had  a  grievance.  It 
had  come  to  his  knowledge  that  Wolff  had  a 


?^:'^%5ais*Tii.w&art*»ve€ 


54 


SEA  PLUNDER 


private  stock  of  Pilsener.  Some  had  come  in 
the  cases  that  the  wharf  rat  had  carried  after 
him  on  board,  and  there  was  more  stowed 
away  in  some  hole  known  only  to  Wolff  and 
Shiner. 

Those  two  worthies  would  forgather  of  a 
morning  in  Wolff's  cabin  and  drink  Pilsener 
and  then  heave  the  bottles  out  of  the  porthole. 
The  Captain  had  seen  a  Pilsener  bottle  going  ] 
aft,  bobbing  and  bowing  to  him  in  the  wake, 
and  his  fury  was  excessive  and  ill  contained. 

Leaving  aside  the  meanness  of  proclaiming 
the  ship  teetotal  and  then  smuggling  drink 
aboard  for  private  consumption,  there  was 
something  of  cold-blooded  inhospitality  about 
the  business  that  struck  at  the  Irish  heart. 

He  was  very  explicit  about  the  matter  to 
Harman: 

"Swine — they  and  their  lager  beer  I  You 
wait!    I'll  pay  them  out." 

"To  think  of  them  sitting  there  drinking, 
and  we  dry!"  said  the  simple-minded  Har- 
man. "That's  what  gets  me.  We  dry  and 
them  chaps  drinking.    It  makes  me  thirsty. 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


55 


I  don't  care  a  dash  about  their  sitting  there 
and  drinking,  but  when  I  think  of  it  it  makes 
me  thirsty.    That's  what  gets  me." 

"Well,  you'll  have  to  think  of  something 
else,"  said  the  Captain.  "There's  no  use  in 
dwelling  on  things  like  that,  and  the  voyage 
is  not  for  long." 

"It's  long  enough  to  be  without  a  drink  in," 
said  Harman. 

Harman,  despite  his  up-to-dateness  on  San 
Francisco  roguery,  was  a  most  extraordinary 
child  for  all  his  manhood.  The  man  part  of 
him  had  grown  up  and  grown  crooked;  the 
child  part  of  him  had  remained  virginal.  The 
moment  was  everything  to  him.  He  could 
just  read  and  write  his  name,  and  sometimes, 
when  he  was  oflF  duty,  you  would  see  him 
spelling  over  a  San  Francisco  paper.  Houses 
to  let,  governess  wanted — it  was  all  the 
same  to  him.  He  only  read  the  advertisement 
columns.  They  satisfied  his  craving  for  litera- 
ture, and  he  could  understand  them.  The 
rest  of  the  paper,  from  the  poetry  corner  to 


liiiPliiiPli 


56 


SEA  PLUNDER 


the  foreign-news  column,  was  arid  ground  for 
him. 

Yet  this  same  man  had  made  money  out 
of  ward  politics  and  in  twenty  other  ways  in 
which  one  would  have  fancied  education  nec- 
essary to  success. 

They  left  Fanning  and  Christmas  Island 
three  hundred  miles  to  starboard,  passed  the 
equator,  and,  entering  the  great,  empty  space 
of  sea  bounded  by  the  Phcenix  Islands  on  the 
north  and  the  Penrhyns  on  the  southeast, 
headed  toward  the  Navigators. 

One  sweltering  morning,  the  Captain,  com- 
ing up  to  Wolff,  who  was  seated  in  his  pa- 
jamas under  the  double  awning  that  had  been 
rigged  up,  said : 

"We're  just  on  the  cable  line." 

Wolff  rose  up,  called  for  the  steward,  and, 
having  sent  for  his  panama,  put  it  on  and 
came  up  on  the  bridge. 

The  sea  was  smooth,  surface  smooth,  but 
underrun  by  the  long,  endless  swell  of  the  Pa- 
cific. 

"This  is  the  spot,"  said  the  Captain,  who 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


57 


had  been  poring  over  the  cable  chart  which 
he  had  brought  up  on  the  bridge.  "And  it's 
pretty  deep.    All  a  mile." 

"Good!"  said  Wolff.  "With  this  calm  sea, 
we  ought  to  work  well  and  quickly.  We  are 
in  luck ;  and  now,  if  you  will  come  into  the 
chart  house,  we  will  talk  for  one  moment." 

They  went  into  the  chart  house,  and  Wolff 
shut  the  door. 

"This  is  a  purely  business  proposition,"  be- 
gan Wolff,  "and  I  must  tell  you,  to  begin  with, 
that  it  is  not  a  business  which  a  man  of  a  cer- 
tain type  of  mind  would  call  on  the  square. 
But,  my  dear  Captain,  can  you  show  me 
any  business  proposition  that  is  truly  on 
the  square?  Not  one.  I  want  the  use  of  a 
cable,  and  I  am  going  to  take  it  for  business 
purposes.  That  is  all  there  is  to  it,  you  under- 
stand." 

"Look  here,"  said  Blood,  "this  is  all  I  know 
of  the  business.  You  want  me  to  fish  this  cable 
up?" 

"Precisely." 

"Cut  it?" 


S8 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Just  so." 

"Connect  both  ends  with  the  electrical  test- 
ing room,  and  let  you  talk  through  it  and  send 
messages  through  it  from  both  or  one  of  the 
cut  ends?" 

"That  is  (  xactly  the  position." 

"Well,  after  that?" 

"After  I  have  had  my  use  of  the  cable,  you 
can  drop  both  ends  overboard.  We  will  sail 
away,  and  no  one  the  wiser.  Of  course,  the 
cable  company  will  recognise  that  their  cable 
is  broken,  and  send  a  ship  to  mend  it;  but  we 
will  be  far  away  by  that  time." 

"I  see,"  went  on  the  Captain,  "that  it  runs 
from  the  American  coast  here  to  the  Aus- 
tralian coast  here,  but  I  don't  know  the  name 
of  the  company  it  belongs  to;  I  don't  know 
what  in  the  nation  your  game  is.  I  am  as  in- 
nocent as  a  baa  lamb  on  the  whole  affair,  and 
I  simply  obey  your  orders,  not  knowing  that 
you  yourself  may  not  own  the  cable  and  that 
this  mayn't  be  a  repairing  job.  If  we  are 
caught,  will  you  bear  me  out  in  that  statement? 


mam 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


59 


—not  that  your  evidence  will  be  much  good,  I 
expect,  but,  still,  it's  better  than  nothing." 

"If  you  obey  our  instructions,"  said  Wolff, 
"I  will  do  as  you  say;  and,  to  prove  that  I  am 
playing  fair  with  you,  I  will  even  now  give 
you  a  detail  of  the  commercial  speculation 
that  is  behind  all  this  business." 

"I  don't  want  to  hear  it,"  said  the  Captain. 
"I'd  much  sooner  remain  innocent.  I'm  just 
an  ordinary  sailor  signed  on  to  do  an  ordinary 
job.  I'll  work  freer  in  mind  if  I  know  noth- 
ing about  the  inside  of  the  affair;  it's  black 
enough  on  the  out." 

"Well,  we  will  leave  it  at  that,"  said  Wolff, 
"and  we  will  now  set  to  work,  if  you  please." 

They  came  on  to  the  bridge,  and  the  Cap- 
tain gave  orders  for  the  main  engines  to  be 
stopped  and  the  Kelvin  sounder  to  be  set  to 
work.  The  donkey  man  had  been  allotted  to 
this  job,  and  presently  the  furious,  sewing- 
machine  whir  of  the  sounder  hauling  up  the 
lead  came  through  the  silence  that  had  super- 
vened on  the  stopping  of  the  engines,  and  the 


6o 


SEA  PLUNDER 


result  was  shouted  forward :    "Eight  hundred 
fathoms,  coral  rock." 

Blood,  on  this  result  being  given  to  him,  left 
the  bridge  and  came  down  to  the  bow  balks 
to  superintend  the  lowering  of  the  first  buoy. 
He  had  not  only  to  act  as  cable  engineer,  but 
he  had  also  to  instruct  the  hands  in  the  details 
of  this  work  absolutely  new  to  them.  A  big, 
red-painted  buoy  was  swung  up  against  the 
burning  blue  of  the  sky,  a  rope  with  a  mush- 
room anchor  attached  to  it  was  fastened  to  the 
buoy;  then  the  anchor  was  cast  overboard, 
taking  the  rope  with  it,  and  the  buoy,  swung 
outboard,  was  dropped.  It  rode  off,  bobbing 
and  ducking  on  the  swell,  and  the  Penguin 
steamed  on  to  a  point  a  mile  ahead,  where  an- 
other buoy  was  dropped  in  a  precisely  similar 
manner. 

The  Captain  had  now  his  position  and  his 
marks  laid  down.  Somewhere  between  those 
two  buoys  lay  the  cable,  like  a  black  snake  on 
the  floor  of  the  sea,  waiting  to  be  grappled  for, 

The  grapnel  rope  was  now  lowered  over 
the  clanking  drum  of  the  picking-up  gear  and 


Vvi^'^JSCIiaE.I&.T.liJ^'RO^;^ 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


6i 


the  wheel  in  the  bow.  This  business  took  half 
an  hour,  and  then  the  Penguin,  going  dead 
slow,  began  to  steam  back  to  the  first-mark 
buoy,  dragging  the  grapnel  after  her  across 
the  floor  of  the  sea. 

Wolff  and  Shiner  took  a  great  deal  of  in- 
terest in  this  part  of  the  business.  They  stood 
at  the  bow  watching  the  pointer  of  the  dy- 
namometer, which  gave  the  pull  on  the  rope  in 
hundredweights;  every  lump  of  coral,  every 
tuft  of  weed  travelled  over  by  the  grapnel 
made  the  pointer  of  the  dynamometer  jump 
and  joggle;  and  at  every  jump  the  idea 
"Cable!"  would  leap  into  the  minds  of  the 
speculators  and  show  itself  in  their  eyes. 

But  the  Penguin  passed  from  one  mark 
buoy  to  the  other  without  a  show  of  the  real 
thing;  and  then  she  turned  and  steamed  back 
on  an  equally  fruitless  course. 

She  was  making  ready  for  a  third  grapple 
when  the  bell  Went  for  dinner,  and  WolflF, 
Shiner,  and  the  Captain  turned  aft  and  went 
below  to  the  saloon. 

The  Wolff  gang  vvere  in  a  bad  temper,  and 


:!9m^^- 


^^S?? 


_*:«&- 


62 


SEA  PLUNDER 


the  meal  had  scarcely  begun  when  a  discus- 
sion broke  out. 

"It's  a  funny  thing,"  said  Shiner,  "that  we 
have  not  hit  the  thing  yet." 

"We  have  been  twice  over  the  ground," 
said  Wolff. 

"Sure  you  haven't  made  a  mistake  in  the 
spot,  Captain?"  said  Shiner. 

The  Captain  put  down  the  glass  of  mineral 
water  he  was  raising  to  his  lips. 

"Why  can't  you  say  what  you  mean?"  said 
he.  "Why  can't  you  ask  me  right  out  if  I 
haven't  muddled  the  navigation  and  missed 
the  job?  Well,  I  haven't.  Is  that  plain? 
Some  men  may  doubt  their  own  work,  and 
there  are  some  men  who  would  be  put  off  by 
suspicions  flung  at  them  and  would  say, 
'Maybe  I  am  wrong,'  and  pick  up  his  buoys 
and  move  off  to  another  ground  and  make 
fools  of  themselves.  I'm  not  that  sort.  Cant 
you  see  that  a  cable  may  be  passed  over  by  a 
grapnel  half  a  dozen  times  without  the  grap- 
nel catching?  It  may  be  glued  down  with 
coral." 


■iiE5!5Li3F;:fe(igir-:'  ^^-.^g^yar-^Tr^^kPfeygf^:. 


THE  BUCCANEERS  63 

"Just  so,  just  sol"  said  Shiner,  anxious  to 
pacify.  "Wc  never  doubted  your  capacity, 
Captain." 

"Never,  I'm  sure,"  said  Wolff. 

The  Captain,  somewhat  mollified,  went  on 
with  his  meal,  and  he  was  raising  the  glass 
of  mineral  water  for  the  second  time  to  his 
lips  when  the  dead,  slow  tramp  of  the  engines 
ceased. 

Immediately  on  their  cessation,  through  the 
open  skylight  came  the  clanking  sound  of  the 
picking-up  gear,  and  right  on  that  came  Har- 
man's  voice,  roaring  down  the  saloon  com- 
panionway:  "Below,  there!  We've  got  the 
cable  1" 

In  a  minute  or  less,  Wolff,  Shiner,  and  the 
Captain  were  in  the  bows;  the  Captain  on 
the  bow  balks,  Shiner  and  Wolff  on  the  deck. 

The  great  drum,  rotating  slowly,  was  haul- 
ing in  the  grapnel  rope,  dripping  and  taut; 
the  dynamometer  registered  a  strain  of  seven 
tons,  and  the  strain  was  slowly  increasing. 

Nothing  else  could  give  this  result  but 
cable. 


64 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Are  you  sure  we  have  got  it,  Captain?" 
asked  Wolff. 

The  Captain  looked  down  at  him. 

"If  that  rope  was  to  break  under  this 
strain,"  said  he,  "it  would  mushroom  out  like 
an  open  umbrella  and  cut  you  to  pieces.  Bet- 
ter get  up  on  the  bridge.  You're  safe  there. 
Yes,  I'm  sure  we've  got  cable,  unless  we've 
grappled  a  dead  whale." 

Wolff  and  Shiner  went  up  the  ladder  to  the 
bridge,  and  the  Captain,  relieved  of  their  pres- 
ence, continued  his  work. 

It  was  worth  watching. 

He  was  a  true-born  cable  man,  and  they  are 
as  rare  as  good  violinists.  Knowing  the  depth, 
and  the  length  of  rope  out,  and  its  weight  in 
sea  water,  and  the  weight  of  the  grapnel,  he 
could  tell  approximately  what  was  going  on 
down  below;  he  knew  that  he  was  lifting 
heavier  stuff  than  ordinary  cable,  and  the 
weight  could  only  come  from  coral  incrusta- 
tions on  it.  He  knew  that  the  cable  must  be 
glued  down  here  and  there,  and  that  haste 
would  mean  a  break.    Sometimes  he  stopped 


\^^^S^SSt 


•:^: 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


65 


the  picking-gear  altogether  and  trusted  to  the 
rise  and  fall  of  the  ship  on  the  swell  to  break 
the  thing  gently  up  from  its  attachments.  And 
still  the  grapnel  rope  came  in,  dripping  and 
endless,  till  at  last  the  grapnel  itself  appeared 
with  what  seemed  the  bight  of  a  sea  serpent 
gripped  in  its  unholy  claws. 

The  thing  was  crusted  here  and  there  with 
coral,  it  is  true,  but  it  was  comparatively  new 
and  sound,  and  a  genuine,  straight- going 
cable  man  would  have  si  ddered  at  the  sacri- 
lege that  was  going  on.  Even  t'  e  Captain 
felt  qualms.  To  cut  this  thing  was  like  mur- 
der; it  would  mean  a  dead  loss  of  ten  or  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  to  the  company  that  owned 
it.  An  expedition  would  have  to  be  fitted  out 
to  repair  it,  and  if  bad  weather  were  to  come 
on,  it  might  be  three  months  before  the  repairs 
were  effected. 

The  Captain  thought  of  all  this  even  as  he 
was  ordering  the  stoppers  to  be  got  ready  and 
the  sling  for  the  man  who  would  do  the  cut- 
ting. He  drowned  remorse  in  the  recollec- 
tion that  the  injury  would  be  done  to  a  com- 


66 


SEA  PLUNDER 


pany,  not  to  an  individual.  He  would  not 
have  injured  an  individual  of  his  own  free 
will  for  worlds,  but  he  did  not  mind  much  in- 
juring a  company.  A  company  was  a  many- 
headed  beast,  and,  in  his  experience,  it  al- 
ways dealt  hardly  with  its  employes. 

The  cable  was  high  out  of  the  water  now, 
in  the  form  of  an  inverted  V,  with  the  grapnel 
at  the  apex.  He  ordered  each  limb  of  the 
bight  to  be  secured  with  a  stopper,  and  then, 
unable  to  trust  any  one  else  with  the  delicate 
business,  he  himself  descended  in  a  sling  to  do 
the  cutting.  Shouting  his  directions  to  the 
fellows  who  were  lowering  him,  he  came  just 
level  with  the  grapnel  and  began  the  business 
with  a  file.  Halfway  through,  he  ordered  the 
grapnel  to  be  eased  away,  finished  the  busi- 
ness, and  left  the  two  cable  ends  hanging  by 
the  stoppers. 

Then  he  came  aboard,  and  the  starboard 
end  of  the  cable  was  hauled  in.  It  did  not  take 
long  to  connect  it  up  with  the  electrical  test 
ing  room,  where  Shiner  was  already  installed 
before  the  mirror  galvanometer. 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


67 


The  end  they  had  hauled  on  board  was  the 
American  end;  the  testing-room  door  was 
shut,  the  blinds  of  the  windows  drawn,  for  a 
subdued  light  is  necessary  to  the  proper  work- 
ing of  the  mirror  galvanometer;  and  Shiner 
and  Wolff  were  left  alone  with  the  American 
continent  to  work  their  dark  schemes. 

Said  Harman,  as  he  paced  the  deck  with 
the  Captain : 

"I  wonder  what  those  two  guys  are  doin' 
now?  Carryin'  out  some  of  their  malpraxises, 
no  doubt.  I  ain't  a  particular  man,  but  this 
thing's  beginnin'  to  get  on  my  spine.  It  didn't 
seem  much  at  the  start,  just  foolin'  with  a 
cable;  but  now  it  seems  somehow  a  durned 
sight  worse,  now  that  the  thing's  cut.  I  tell 
you,  Cap,  it  went  to  my  heart  to  see  it  cut.  I 
couldn't  'a'  felt  worse  if  it'd  squealed  and 
blood  run  out  of  it.  I  guess  I  wouldn't  have 
joined  the  expedition  if  I  hadn't  been  tempted. 
I  remember  my  old  mother  warning  me  that 
if  sinners  tempted  me,  not  to  consent." 

"Confound  you  and  your  warnings!'*  said 
the  Captain.    "Who  tempted  me?    You,  and 


68 


SEA  PLUNDER 


no  one  else.  But  I'm  not  the  man  to  go  back 
on  you  and  talk  about  warnings.  We're  in  for 
it,  and  there's  no  going  back,  and  we  can't  do 
anything  but  pray  that  a  cruiser  doesn't  heave 
in  sight  before  we  get  away." 

"Amen  to  that!"  said  Harman. 

They  continued  pacing  the  deck  in  silence, 
till  suddenly  the  testing-room  opened  and 
Wolff  appeared. 

The  black-bearded  Wolff  was  ghastly 
white.  He  had  the  look  of  a  man  who  had 
received  a  blow  in  the  stomach.  He  held  up 
a  finger  to  the  Captain,  who  came  toward  him. 

"Come  in  here,"  said  Wolff. 

Shiner  was  off  his  stool  and  sitting  on  the 
couch  that  ran  along  the  port  side  of  the  room. 
His  hands  were  in  his  hair,  and  the  dot  of  the 
mirror  galvanometer  was  spilling  from  side 
to  side  of  the  scale  unnoticed.  Disaster  was 
in  the  air. 

"What's  up?"  asked  the  Captain. 

"Up!"  cried  Shiner,  coming  out  of  his  lair 
as  one  might  fancy  a  cockatrice  coming  out  of 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


69 


its  hole.  "Everything  is  up !  Our  speculation 
is  done  fori    War  has  been  declared." 

"War  been  declared?    What  war?" 

"England  and  Germany  and  France,"  re- 
plied Shiner. 

"How  did  you  hear  it?" 

"How  did  I  hear  it?  Why,  the  first  mes- 
sage I  tapped  was  a  Press  Association  special 
to  Sydney.  They  began  cursing  me  for  hav- 
ing been  held  up  for  half  an  hour  while  we 
were  cutting  the  cable.  They  thought  we 
were  Sydney.  They  don't  know  the  cable  is 
cut  yet.  They're  still  jabbering.  Anyhow, 
there  it  is — war!  And  war  spells  ruin  to  the 
business  we  were  on." 

"We  must  cut  losses,"  said  Wolff,  who  was 
walking  up  and  down.  "The  expedition  is 
off.  We  must  get  to  a  Chile  port  at  once — 
Valparaiso  for  choice." 

"And  my  bonus?"  said  the  Captain. 

"I  guess  you  may  whistle  for  your  bonus," 
said  Shiner.  "Can't  you  see  we  are  bust — 
B-U-S-T?" 

"But  we  can  do  one  thing,"  said  Wolff. 


70 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"We  can  hit  the  cursed  English ;  we  can  haul 
in  twenty,  forty  miles  of  the  cable  and  cut. 
The  thing  is  cut,  in  any  case;  but  a  long  break 
like  that  will  make  it  the  worse  for  them ;  then 
Sydney  will  have  one  cable  the  less  to  talk  to 
her  mother  with.   Yes,  we  can  do  that." 

"Curse  them!"  said  Shiner.  "Yes,  we  can 
do  that." 

"So  my  bonus  is  gone?"  said  the  Captain. 
"Well,  may  I  ask  one  question  of  you :  Who's 
fighting  who?  Is  it  France  and  England 
against  Germany?" 

"It  is  Germany  against  France  and  Eng- 
land," said  Wolff. 

"And  you  are  Germans,  and  this  is  a  Ger- 
man-owned vessel?" 

"Precisely,"  said  Wolff.  "You  have  touched 
the  matter  on  the  head." 

The  Captain  ruminated. 

Then,  said  he:  "Well,  gentlemen,  this  is 
a  serious  matter  for  me.  I  lose  my  bonus,  and 
I  lose  my  pay,  I  expect;  for  if  you  are  as  badly 
broke  as  you  say,  when  you  land  at  Valparaiso 
or  some  southern  port — and  you  daren't  go 


THE  BUCCANEERS  71 

back  to  Frisco— there'll  be  precious  few  dibs 
to  go  round  unless  you  manage  to  sell  the  old 
Penguin,  which  isn't  very  likely  in  war  time. 
Well,  gentlemen,  I've  thought  of  a  plan  by 
which  I  may  get  my  bonus,  and  my  pay,  too ; 
and  if  you'll  come  down  to  the  saloon  with 
me,  I'll  show  you  it." 

"Why  not  tell  us  here?"  said  Shiner. 

"I  cannot  explain  it  here.  Come  down, 
gentlemen.  When  all's  said  and  done,  it  won't 
take  a  minute,  and  there's  a  lot  of  importance 
attaching  to  what  I  have  to  explain  to  you. 
It's  worth  a  minute." 

He  left  the  testing-room,  and  they  followed 
him  to  the  saloon.  He  led  the  way  into  his 
cabin,  and  they  followed  him  like  lambs.  He 
asked  them  to  be  seated  on  the  couch  opposite 
the  bunk;  then  he  took  the  key  from  the  in- 
side of  the  door  and  inserted  it  in  the  lock  on 
the  outside. 

"What  are  you  doing  that  for?"  said  Shiner. 
"I'll  show  you  in  one  minute,"  replied  the 

Captain. 


72 


SEA  PLUNDER 


He  stepped  swiftly  out  into  the  saloon, 
banged  the  door  to,  and  locked  it. 

It  was  Shiner  who  woke  to  the  situation 
first,  and  it  was  Shiner's  voice  that  came  now 
as  he  clung  to  the  handle  of  the  door  and 
punctuated  his  remarks  with  kicks  on  the  pan- 
eling. 

The  Captain  waited  a  moment  till  the  other 
gave  pause.    Then  he  said : 

"There's  no  use  in  kicking  and  squealing. 
You're  prisoners  of  war,  that's  how  you  stand, 
The  ship's  mine  now,  a  lawful  prize.  What's 
that  you  say?  An  Irishman?  Of  course  I'm 
an  Irishman.  What's  that  you  say?  I'm  a 
traitor  to  my  country?  B'gosh,  if  you  say  that 
again,  I'll  open  the  door  and  give  you  a  taste 
of  my  quality.  Say  it  again,  will  youi  Say  it 
again,  will  youl" 

He  shook  the  door  handle  .  .t  each  invitation, 
but  Shiner  was  dumb.  He  evidently  had  no 
desire  to  taste  the  Captain's  quality.  It  was 
Wolff's  voi.vi  that  came  instead,  muted  and 
murmurous : 


.■i'l*^  V  X, -  ^'iVivi  i?";'  -;MSM>f 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


n 


"Make  terms,  make  terms;  there  is  no  use 
in  arguing.    Make  terms  1" 

"You  won't  make  any  terms  with  me,"  said 
the  Captain,  "but  you'll  be  treated  well  and 
transhipped  as  quick  as  possible." 

"But,  see  here,  Captain!"  came  Shiner's 
voice. 

The  Captain  did  not  hear  him;  he  had  left 
the  saloon,  and  next  moment  was  on  deck.  He 
was  a  man  of  swift  decision,  and  he  had  fixed 
in  his  mind  that  the  first  thing  to  be  done  was 
to  make  the  crew  his  own,  and  the  next  to 
dump  the  cable  and  be  gone.  He  could  not 
mend  it.  They  had  no  skilled  artificer  on 
board.  To  mend  it,  he  would  have  to  bring 
both  ends  on  board  and  connect  them.  If  you 
have  ever  examined  a  deep-sea  cable,  with  its 
water  coat  of  wire,  its  inner  coat  of  rubber, 
and  its  core,  you  will  quite  understand  the 
complexity  of  the  task. 

It  was  impossible,  and  he  recognized  the 
fact  as  he  walked  forward. 

Harman  was  standing  by  the  dynamometer, 
waiting  for  orders,  and  the  bos'n  near  Har- 


74 


SEA  PLUNDER 


man.  The  Captain  ordered  the  bos'n  to  pipe 
the  whole  crew  on  deck,  and  presently,  like  a 
kicked  beehive,  the  fo'c'sle  gave  up  its  con- 
tents, the  stokers  off  duty  appeared,  and  even 
MacBean  himself  rose  like  a  seal  from  the 
engine-room  hatch. 

"Boys,"  said  the  Captain,  addressing  the 
dingy  crowd,  "is  there  ever  a  German  among 
you?" 

Dead  silence  for  a  moment,  as  though  the 
hands  were  consulting  their  own  hearts,  and 
then  a  voice  from  back  near  the  starboard  al- 
leyway:   "No,  there  ain't  no  Germans  here." 

"Sam's  a  Dutchman,"  came  another  voice, 
and  then  the  voice  of  Sam,  protesting:  "You 
lie!    I  vas  a  New  Yorker." 

"Shut  your  mouths!"  said  Blood.  "I'm  an 
Englishman,  or  pretty  near  the  same  thing, 
and  I'm  captain  of  this  hooker,  which  is 
owned  by  a  German  firm.  In  other  words,  it 
is  owned  by  Mr.  WolfJ  and  Mr.  Shiner,  who 
are  Germans.  Well,  my  lads,  news  has  just 
come  over  that  cable  we  have  picked  up  that 
war  has  been  declared  between  England  and 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


75 


Germany,  so  I  have  taken  possession  of  the 
ship  in  the  name  of  England,  d'ye  see?  Which 
means  that  there's  lots  of  prize  money  for  all 
of  us  if  we  can  bring  her  safe  into  a.i  English 
port." 

He  waited  for  a  moment  after  this  an- 
nouncement, but  not  a  sound  came  from  the 
crowd  in  front  of  them.  It  was  filtering  down 
through  the  thickness  of  their  intelligences. 
It  was  an  entirely  new  proposition  that  he  had 
laid  before  them,  and  required  time  to  find  a 
response.  They  knew— God  help  them!— as 
little  as  he  did  of  the  horrible  problems  of  in- 
ternational and  maritime  law  that  the  Penguin 
was  about  to  wind  round  herself  as  the  silk- 
worm winds  a  cocoon;  but  they  knew  the 
meaning  of  the  word  "money,"  and  it  didn't 
matter  to  them  a  rap  whether  it  was  prize 
money  or  not,  as  long  as  it  could  be  changed 
for  whisky  and  tobacco. 

A  little,  wiry  Nova  Scotian  was  the  first  to 
respond. 

"Go  to  it!"  cried  he.    "Here's  to  England 
and  a  pocketful  of  money!"    He  flung  up  his 


76 


SEA  PLUNDER 


cap,  and  the  action  touched  the  rest  off.  Thev 
cheered — Anglo-Saxons,  Celts,  Latins,  and 
Slavs — for  such  was  their  mixture.  All  joined 
in  the  shout. 

MacBean  alone,  cautious  and  cool,  made 
any  question. 

"Are  you  sure,"  said  he,  when  the  shouting 
had  ceased,  "are  you  sure  we're  in  the  right 
of  this?  I'm  as  willin'  as  ony  man  to  fight  for 
England,  but  I'm  no  so  sure  about  our  posee- 
tion  as  regards  the  ship." 

"Well,  you  will  be  soon,"  said  Blood.  "This 
is  my  position :  I'm  not  only  going  to  take  the 
ship,  but  I'm  going  to  take  anything  German 
I  come  across  on  the  high  seas.  Away  back 
in  the  American  Spanish  War,  I  put  out  in  a 
mud  dredger  from  the  Florida  coast  and  took 
a  mail  steamer.  We  pretended  we  were  a 
dynamite  boat.  There  were  seven  thousand 
dollars  in  gold  coin  on  board  her,  and  we  took 

it.     Never  mind  where  it  went  to "    A 

wild  yell  from  the  crowd.  "We  took  it  just 
as  we  are  going  to  take  any  German  money 
we  come  across.    A  chance  like  this  doesn't 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


11 


Oil-  J.I 


•  f 


come  in  most  lifetimes,  and  I'm  not  going  to 
lose  it."    Applause. 

MacBean  went  back  to  his  engine  room. 

"May  I  ax,  Captain,"  said  one  of  the  fel 
lows,  "what's  to  become  of  the  owners?" 

"Meaning  Mr.  Wolff  and  Mr.  Shiner  "  r 
plied  the  Captain.  "Why,  they  are  pr 
of  war,  and  they  will  be  treated  as  sut  h 
out  a  hair  of  their  heads  being  touch  \ 
we  can't  keep  them  on  board.  We  1  I.  I 
them  somewhere,  or  put  them  on  a  Gen  .  •. 
ship,  if  we  find  one.  Now,  then,  look  livei^ 
and  get  the  cable  away.  Mr.  Harman,  get  it 
aft  from  the  testing-room,  and  then  cast  loose 
the  stoppers;  dump  both  ends." 

He  went  on  the  bridge  while  Harman  cast 
the  cable  loose ;  then  he  rang  up  the  engines, 
and,  giving  the  fellow  at  the  wheel  a  sou'- 
westerly  course  to  steer  by,  put  the  engine  tele- 
graph to  full  speed  ahead. 

He  wanted  to  get  away  from  that  spot  in  a 
hurry.  He  had  not  yet  fixed  on  any  point  to 
make  for— north,  south,  east,  or  west  did  not 
matter  for  the  moment  to  him.    He  wanted  to 


78 


SEA  PLUNDER 


be  somewhere  else  and  to  put  as  many  lon^ 
leagues  as  possible  between  the  Penguin  and 
the  scene  of  her  crime. 

Harman  presently  joined  him  on  the  bridge. 

Said  Harman :  "Well,  this  is  a  rum  joke, 
ain't  it,  Captain?  'Pears  to  me  it's  the  rum- 
mest  joke  ever  I  seen.  We've  took  the  ship, 
and  we've  took  the  owners — and  how  about 
our  bonuses  and  pay?" 

"We'll  have  to  take  the  bonuses  out  of  the 
first  Dutchman  we  can  lay  hands  on,"  said 
the  Captain.  "We'll  never  get  a  cent  from 
Wolff  and  Shiner.  Their  game  is  up.  If  I 
can  lay  alongside  of  a  German  trader— and 
there  are  plenty  in  these  waters — I'll  take  all 
she's  got." 

"And  suppose  they  show  fighi?"  said  Har- 
man. 

"Traders  don't  fight— we  have  eight  rifles 
— without  ammunition,  but  that  doesn't  -mat- 
ter, for  we'd  only  be  spoofing.  The  sight  of 
the  rifles  is  enough.  Still,  I  wouldn't  mind 
fighting  if  we  have  to." 

"I  heard  a  chap  yarning  once,"  said  Har- 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


79 


man.    "It  was  at  a  meetin'  a  fellow  give  me 
a  ticket  for,  and  this  chap  was  sayin'  there  was 


no 


use  in  war;  he  was  sayin'  no  one  was  any 
the  better  off  for  war,  and  all  suchlike.  Well, 
it  'pears  to  me  it's  a  durned  good  thing,  for  you 
can  go  and  rob  the  chaps  that's  against  you, 
and  it's  all  on  the  square.  I've  all  my  life  been 
wantin'  to  rob  people  open,"  continued  Mr. 
Harman,  "not  poor  people,  you  understand, 
for  there  wouldn't  be  no  fun  in  that,  and,  be- 
sides, they  have  nothing  worth  takin'— but 
rich  folk.  Them's  the  chaps.  My  idea  would 
be  to  be  goin'  round  Nob  Hill  with  a  hand 
barrow  and  collecting  jewelry,  or  callin'  at 
the  Bank  of  California  with  a  cart  and  a 
shovel.  I  never  expected  in  my  life  I'd  have 
a  chance  like  this." 

"It's  not  all  too  rosy,"  said  the  Captain. 
"I'm  not  clear  what  a  German  cruiser  could 
do  to  us  if  they  found  us  skinning  a  German 
ship.  I've  heard  that  privateering  is  going  to 
be  allowed  in  the  next  war— which  is  this— 
but  then  we  haven't  a  letter  of  marque." 

"What's  that?" 


■^!^''i 


8o 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"A  license  to  rob.  But,  license  or  no  license, 
we  can't  pick  and  choose.  We  have  to  make 
good.  We're  done  out  of  our  bonuses  and  our 
salary.  D'ye  think  I'm  going  back  to  Frisco 
as  poor  as  I  left  it,  and  maybe  poorer?  For 
I'll  tell  you  one  thing,  Billy  Harman:  What 
we've  done  to  that  cable  is  a  penitentiary  job 
to  start  with,  and  if  it  tricks  America  any  over 
this  war,  supposing  she  takes  a  hand  in  it,  it 
may  mean  a  hanging  job." 

"I  wish  you'd  not  go  on  talkin'  like  that," 
said  Harman.  "What  on  earth's  the  use  of 
going  on  talkin'  like  that?  Who's  to  catch 
us?" 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  the  Captain.  "The 
only  one  thing  I  do  know  is  the  bedrock  fact 
that  our  position  couldn't  be  worse  than  it  is, 
and  that  we  may  as  well  play  for  as  big  a  fig- 
ure as  possible.  Between  you  and  me,  it's  just 
this — pira.  y  pure  and  simple ;  that's  our  game, 
under  shelter  of  the  pretence  that  we're  Eng- 
lish and  doing  all  in  our  power  to  help  our 
native  land  ;  then  if  we  are  caught  by  an  Eng- 
lish ship  with  our  holds  full  of  boodle  and  oir 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


8i 


scuppers  full  of  gold  all  we  have  to  say  is: 
'Please,  sir,  we  have  been  fighting  the  Ger- 
mans for  the  good  of  our  native  land.'  " 

"And  suppose  we  are  caught  by  a  German 
ship?" 

"Then  it  will  be  all  the  worse  for  us;  but 
come  along  into  the  chart  room,  for  I  have  an 
idea,  and  I  want  your  opinion  on  it." 

They  left  the  bridge,  and  went  into  the  chart 
I  room,  where  the  Captain,  having  closed  the 
I  door,  brought  out  a  chart  of  the  Pacific,  placed 
I  it  on  the  table,  and  sat  down  before  it. 
I  "Here  we  are,"  said  he,  making  a  pencil 
mark  on  the  spot.  "And  here,"  making  an- 
other mark,  "lies  Christobal." 

"Why,  Christoval  Island  lies  in  the  Solo- 
mons," said  Harman.    "I've  been  there." 

"I  said  Christobal,  not  Christoval.  This  is 
a  Ge-man  island,  and  a  pretty  rich  one,  too.  I 
know  it,  and  cause  I  have  to  know  it,  for  a 
chap  there  named  Sprengel  let  me  down  badly 
once  over  a  deal.  I  hope  he's  there  still.  It's 
a  rich  island,  lots  of  copra  and  trade.  Fm  go- 
in  e  there." 


82 


SEA  PLUNDER 


« 


"And  what  are  you  going  to  do  there?" 
asked  Harman. 

"Well,  you  see,"  said  the  Captain,  "the 
place  is  only  just  a  trading  station;  it's  not 
armed;  there  are  only  half  a  dozen  whites, 
and — I'm  going  to  take  it." 

"Take  it?" 

"Hoist  the  Union  Jack  there,  scoop  all  the 
boodle  I  can  find,  up  anchor,  and  bunk  for 
Valparaiso.    That's  my  idea." 

"Lord,  that  would  be  lovely  I"  said  Harman. 
"But  suppose  they  show  any  sort  of  fight?" 

"Not  they.  We'll  rig  up  a  dummy  gun,  and 
we  can  arm  a  landing  party  with  these  blessed 
old  rifles  and  cutlasses  there.  But  the  dummy 
guns  will  do  them.  You  see,  they  won't  know 
what  to  make  of  the  cut  of  the  Penguin. 
They'll  never  have  seen  a  cable  ship,  most 
likely.  We'll  tell  them  we  are  a  volunteer 
cruiser.    Good  name,  that." 

A  knock  came  to  the  door,  and  the  bos'n  ap- 
peared. 

"Please,  Captain,"  said  that  individual, 
"them  guys  you've  locked  up  in  the  after  cabin 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


83 


are  tryin'  to  beat  the  door  down  and  threat'nin' 
to  fire  the  ship." 

"I'll  come  and  attend  to  them,"  said  the 
Captain  grimly.  But  first  he  went  on  the 
bridge  and  gave  the  helmsman  the  course  for 
Christobal. 


VI 

THE  crew's  share  OF  THE  SPOILS 


Next  day  they  sighted  a  bark.  She  was 
English,  and,  to  make  up  for  his  disappoint- 
ment, the  Captain  had  the  pleasure  of  giving 
h  r  news  of  war,  and  scaring  her  nearly  to 

ath  with  the  false  news  of  German  cruisers 

the  vicinity. 

The  latter  trick  was  played  out  of  spite, 
<   ving  to  her  refusal  to  relieve  him  of  Wolff 
Shner — still  in  durance  vile. 

Ae  'd  brought  the  Penguin  to  within 
mc  :isi  le  distance  of  the  bark — her  name 
was  '  e  Anne  Page — and  when  he  made  his 
request  the  answer  came  roaring  back,  quite 
definite: 

"I  won't  take  no  German  prisoners.  I'm 
full  up  with  pigs  and  copra;  there  ain't 
standin"  room  scarcely  as  it  is,  and  we're  short 
of  water  and  grub." 

84 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


85 


"I'll  supply  you,"  cried  the  Penguin. 
"Lower  a  boat  and  you'll  have  what  you 
want." 

The  Anne  Page  seemed  to  meditate  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  again  came  the  response  like 
that  of  a  deaf  man  who  has  failed  to  catch  the 
meaning  of  what  is  said  to  him : 

"I  won't  take  no  German  prisoners.  There 
ain't  no  room  for  them.  Why  don't  you  keep 
'em  yourself— you're  big  enough?" 

On  that  the  Captain  gave  his  news  of  the 
German  cruisers,  and  the  Jnne  Page  picked 
up  her  skirts  and  scuttled. 

But  next  day  they  had  better  luck.  They 
picked  up  a  real  German  schooner,  captained 
by  a  real  Simon-pure  German  skipper,  and 
eight  of  the  scallawags  of  the  Penguin  had 
their  first  exercise  under  arms. 

The  Penguin  carried  a  whaleboat  for  beach 
work— Wolff  had  strongly  resented  the  pur- 
chase of  this  boat,  but  the  Captain  had  stood 
firm— and  into  it  were  bundled  Wolff  and 
Shiner,  eight  malefactors  armed  with  cutlasses 
and  rifles,  followed  by  Blood  himself. 


86 


SEA  PLUNDER 


The  schooner — the  Spreewald  was  her  name 
— would  have  escaped,  but  there  was  only  a 
five-knot  breeze  blowing,  and  the  Penguin 
could  make  ten.  There  was  also  the  threat  of 
ramming.  She  let  herself  be  boarded,  re- 
ceived the  declaration  of  war,  and  then  sub- 
mitted to  be  robbed. 

The  whole  thing  was  shameful,  and  pain- 
fully like  robbing  a  child  of  the  milk  it  is  car- 
rying home.  She  was  but  a  little  ship,  and 
the  booty  was  trifling,  some  five  hundred  dol- 
lars, some  barrels  of  Bismarck  herrings,  a 
dozen  boxes  of  cigars,  and  a  gold  watch  and 
chain.  That  is  what  Blood  took  from  her. 
But  she  relieved  him  of  the  presence  of  Wolff 
and  Shiner,  and  he  reckoned  that  equal  to  a 
lot  of  plunder. 

When  they  steered  oflF  they  got  five  miles 
away  before  the  SpreeualJ  had  fully  recov- 
ered her  senses  from  the  outrage  and  pulled 
herself  together.  Then  they  saw  her  spread- 
ing her  canvas  and  altering  her  course. 

"She  was  bound  for  one  of  the  English 
islands,  I  expect,"  said  Blood,  "and  now  she's 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


87 


nosing  off  for  some  German  port  of  call. 
Well,  I  guess  this  is  the  first  blood  the  English 
have  drawn  in  these  seas.  I  deserve  a  bonus 
on  that." 

The  money  he  had  in  his  pocket,  also  the 
gold  v^ratch  and  chain;  the  Bismarck  herrings 
had  gone  to  the  lazaret,  and  the  cigars  fo  the 
saloon. 

He  was  turning  with  Harman  to  go  down 
and  enjoy  one  when  a  little  man  with  a  red 
head  came  aft,  touching  his  cap. 

"Please,  sir,"  said  this  individual,  "I  was 
sent  by  the  crew  to  ax  what  their  share  in  the 
liftin'  is  to  be." 

"Oh,  you  were,  were  you?"  said  the  Cap- 
tain. "And  a  very  natural  question,  too.  I'll 
go  forward  and  have  a  talk  with  them." 

He  found  the  men  clustered  round  the  pick- 
ing-up  gear. 

"You  sent  to  ask  me  what  your  share  in  the 
findings  would  be,"  said  he,  "so  I  thought  I'd 
come  and  tell  you  by  word  of  mouth.  To  be- 
gin with,  what  do  you  think  yourselves  on 
board  of— a  pirate?    You'll  just  understand 


88 


SEA  PLUNDER 


one  thing:  this  ship  is  acting  on  the  squa^; 
it's  under  command  of  a  Britisher — that's  me 
— and  whatever  we  tal<.c  rightfully  belongs  to 
the  British  government.  But  I  can  promise 
you  this:  Your  money  you  signed  on  for  will 
be  paid  when  we  reach  Valparaiso,  one-third 
of  all  pickings  will  be  divided  among  you. 
leaving  two-thirds  for  Mr.  Harman  and  me; 
and,  after  we  coal  at  Valparaiso,  I  intend  tak- 
ing the  hooker  down  to  a  port  I  know  of  and 
selling  her.  Half  the  money  she  brings  will 
be  divided  among  her  crew,  the  other  half 
between  Mr.  Harman  and  me." 

"And  the  British  government?"  asked  the 
bos'n. 

"I'll  settle  with  the  British  government," 
replied  the  Captain,  with  a  wink. 

A  roar  of  laughter  went  up. 

The  idea  of  doing  the  Germans  and  the 
British  government  at  the  same  time  appealed 
•so  much  to  these  gentlemen  that  they  forgot 
to  consider  over  the  terms  for  the  division  of 
the  spoil  or  dispute  them. 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


89 


"And  may  I  ax  are  we  heading  for  Val- 
paraiso now?"  asked  the  red-headed  man. 

"No,  we  are  not;  we  are  heading  for  a  little 
German  island  named  Christobal." 

"And  what  are  we  goin'  to  do  there?"  asked 
another  of  the  crowd. 

"We  are  going  to  collect  all  the  money  we 
can  find  for  the  British  government." 
Another  howl  of  laughter. 
"And  suppose,  when  we're  landed  at  this 
here  island,  a  German  ship  comes  along  and 
asks  us  what  we  are  doing?"  spoke  up  a 
grumbler.    "What'Il  us  say  to  that?" 

"Why,  we'll  say  we're  picking  mushrooms," 
replied  the  Captain.  "Any  more  inquiries? 
Well,  then,  you  can  get  to  work.  See  here! 
I  want  half  a  dozen  chaps  to  help  me  rig  up 
a  dummy  gun  on  the  bow  balks.  A  stovepipe 
is  good,  but  we  haven't  got  one,  so  we  must 
just  use  a  big  spar  sawed  down.  There's  a 
spare  yard  will  do.  I'll  go  and  speak  to  Mr. 
Harman  about  it." 

He  turned  off,  and  in  the  alleyway  he  met 
MacBean  looking  more  serious  and  like  a 


'Y^.-  ■r?v-vls</lg»"^ 


■-^ 


NMCROCOPV  MSOUITION  TtST  CHART 

(ANSI  ond  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


■  50     ^^^ 

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IB       ■■■ 


12.0 


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1.8 


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S  RochMUr.  N«w  York        1*609      US* 

^S  (7'6)  482 -0300- Phon« 

^E  (7 16)  286  -  5989  -  Fox 


90 


SEA  PLUNDER 


ill 
0 


|! 


1/ 


Rii 


Scotch  terrier  than  ever — an  Aberdeen.  He 
had  been  listening  to  every  word. 

"Mon,  mon,"  said  MacBean,  "this  is  an 
awfu'  business.  Fiddlin'  with  the  cable  was 
bad,  but  this  is  shoockin',  rank  piracy,  call  it 
what  names  you  will,  and  that  I  did  not  sign 
for." 

"What  made  you  sign  on  at  all?"  cried  the 
Captain,  flashing  out. 

"Drink,"  replied  Mac.  "The  same  that 
made  Harman  and  half  the  crew  sign  on. 
Mon,  this  is  an  unholy  ship,  a  drunk  ship  that 
has  to  keep  sober,  goin'  about  the  ocean  with 
hell  in  her  heart;  cable  smashin'  and  pirating 
under  the  cover  of  a  devastating  war — and  so- 
ber all  the  time." 

"Jolly  good  job  for  you  all  you  have  to  keep 
sober." 

"I  was  not  thinkin'  of  the  goodness  or  the 
badness  of  the  job,"  said  Mac.  "It's  the  hee- 
pocrisy  gets  me." 

"Well,  if  the  Germans  don't  get  you  as  well 
you'll  be  lucky,"  replied  the  other,  going  aft. 

He  found  Harman  in  the  saloon  sampling 


THE  BUCCANEERS  91 

the  cigars,  and  he  gave  him  a  sketch  of  what 
he  had  done  and  said  to  the  crew. 

"A  lick  of  grey  paint  and  an  artificial  bore, 
which  you  can  burn  out  witli  a  hot  iron,  and 
you  can't  tell  a  spar  end  from  the  nose  of  a 
four-inch  gun,"  said  he  in  conclusion. 

"From  the  shore?"  said  Harman. 

"Just  so,"  replied  the  Captain.  "You  didn't 
fancy  I  was  going  to  invite  the  blighters 
aboard  to  inspect  our  armaments,  did  you?" 


I 

i'. 


i\ 


VII 


CHRISTOBAL 


I; 


CHRISTOBAL  ISLAND  lay  two  days'  steaming 
away.  It  was  a  tiny  place  set  all  alone  in  the 
wastes  of  the  sea. 

There  was  only  one  trading  station  there, 
and  it  was  run  by  a  German  on  behalf  of  a 
Gennan  firm.  This  person's  name  was  Spren- 
gel,  and,  to  use  the  words  that  Blood  applied 
to  him  some  years  before  the  date  of  this  story, 
he  had  everything  of  the  Red  Indian  about 
him  except  the  gentleman. 

Sprengel   was    a    Pmssian,    close-clipped, 

clever,  hard,  and  persistent  as  the  east  wind 

that  blows  over  East  Prussia  in  the  spring.  He 

had  managed  to  keep  other  traders  away  from 

Christobal  Island.   Trade  was  his  god ;  he  had 

one  ideal  only — money,  and,  with  the  Teutonic 

passion  for  alien  slang,  he  declared  that  in 

92 


THE  BUCCANEERS  93 

Christobal  he  was  the  only  pebble  on  the 
beach. 

The  place,  though  German,  was  free  to  all 
men,  absolutely  free,  yet  Sprengel  kept  it  ab- 
solutely German.  No  one  could  compete  with 
him.  Other  traders  had  tried,  but  their  busi- 
ness had  wilted;  antagonistic  influences  had 
worked  mysteriously  against  them. 

Blood  had  brought  a  cargo  of  trade  here 
once  for  a  friend.  The  friend,  Samson  by 
name,  had  put  his  all  into  a  little  schooner  and 
a  cargo  of  all  sorts  of  "notions"— canned  sal- 
mon, gin,  tobacco,  prints,  knives,  et  cetera. 
He  had  taken  Blood  along  as  skipper.  Bad 
luck  had  followed  them  to  several  islands,  and 
here  at  Christobal  had  finished  them.  Blood 
rightly  had  put  down  their  failure  to  Spren- 
gel, and  the  glorious  idea  of  getting  even  with 
Sprengel  now  haunted  him  so  that  he  could 
not  sleep. 

His  one  dread  was  that  Sprengel,  having 
made  his  pile,  might  have  gone  back  to  Brom- 
bcrg  to  enjoy  it. 

They  had  finished  the  "gun"  next  day,  and 


94 


SEA  PLUNDER 


1  < 


mounted  it  on  the  bow,  with  a  tarpaulin  over 
the  breech  as  if  to  protect  it  from  the  weather, 
when  the  Captain,  who  had  been  superintend- 
ing the  operations,  coming  aft,  discovered 
Harman  emerging  from  the  saloon  com- 
panionway  in  a  high  state  of  excitement. 

"I've  found  it,"  said  Harman.  "I  knew  it 
was  there.  I  guessed  the  swine  couldn't  have 
finished  the  lot,  so  I  set  up  a  hunt  for  it  Come 
you  down  and  see." 

The  Captain  followed  him  below,  and 
there,  on  the  saloon  table,  he  saw  standing 
three  bottles  of  Pilsener. 

"Where  did  you  get  those?"  said  he. 

"Get  them!  I  got  them  out  of  the  locker 
in  Wolffs  cabin ;  hid  away  they  were  behind 
some  old  newspapers.  I  guessed  the  pair  of 
those  chaps  hadn't  finished  all  the  lush,  and  I 
hunted  and  hunted — first  in  Shiner's  locker, 
then  under  the  mattress  in  his  lower  bunk.  I 
looked  into  WolflP's  locker  twiced,  and  saw 
nothin'  but  newspapers,  and  still  I  kep'  on.  I 
reckon  I  must  have  smelled  the  stuff  to  make 
me  so  persistent    Anyhow,  I  lit  on  the  idea 


ii;,-; 


# 


THE  BUCCANEERS  95 

that  the  stuff  migHt  be  hid  behind  the  news- 
papers, and  I  went  again,  and  there  they 
were." 

"Fetch  some  glasses,"  said  the  Captain. 

Harman  darted  off,  and  returned  with  two 
glasses  and  a  corkscrew. 

The  Captain  took  the  corkscrew,  placed  a 
botde  between  his  knees,  and  was  on  the  point 
of  inserting  the  screw  into  the  cork,  when  he 
paused,  stood  up,  and  replaced  the  bottle  and 
corkscrew  on  the  table. 

"What's  the  matter  now?"  asked  Harman. 

"An  idea  has  struck  me,"  replied  the  Cap- 
tain. 

"What's  your  idea?" 

"We  mustn't  drink  this  stuff." 

"Not  drink  it!"  cried  the  outraged  Har- 
man. "And  what  on  earth  do  you  want  it  for 
if  we  ain't  to  drink  it?" 

"Bait,"  replied  the  other. 

"Bait?" 

"To  catch  Sprenge!  with.  This  is  Lion 
brew  Pilsener,  and  it's  a  hundred  to  one,  if 
he's  still  on  the  island,  he  hasn't  any  of  this 


96 


SEA  PLUNDER 


stuff  with  him.  There's  no  German  bom  could 
withstand  the  temptation.  It  beats  sausages." 
"Well,"  said  Harman,  flying  out  like  a 
child,  "if  I'd  known  you  was  going  to  collar 
the  stuff  like  that  I'd  have  drunk  it  before  I 
called  you.  It  ain't  fair.  Here  am  I  with  my 
toDgu**  hangin'  down  to  my  heels  for  a  drink, 
and  there's  the  stuff  and  the  glasses  and  all. 
I'm  not  given  to  complain,  but  it's  too  much. 
I'm  speakin'  my  mind  now.    It's  too  much!" 

"Can't  you  understand  that  with  this  stuflf 
I  may  be  able  to  get  the  blighter  on  board," 
said  the  Captain,  "and  if  I  once  get  him  on 
board  and  down  to  this  saloon  the  whole  of  the 
rest  of  the  thing  will  be  easy.  If  we  try  to 
rush  the  place  with  him  on  shore  there  may 
be  blood  spilled.  With  him  a  prisoner  here 
there  won't  be  any  resistance. 

"I'll  take  him  those  three  bottles  as  a  pres- 
ent, and  then  invite  him  on  board  with  the 
promise  of  a  case  of  it — d'ye  see?" 

"I'll  tell  you  what,"  said  Harman.  "I'll 
split  the  difference  with  you.  Take  him  two 
bottles  as  a  present,  and  we'll  drink  the  other." 


THE  BUCCANEERS  97 

The  Captain  considered  on  this  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then,  fearing  mutiny  as  well  as  hav- 
ing a  thirst,  he  gave  in. 

It  was  his  first  drink  for  a  long  time,  and  it 
was  excellent  beer;  the  only  drawback  was  the 
quantity. 

"What  I  can't  see,"  said  Harman,  finishing 
his  portion  of  the  liquid,  "is  what  in  the  na- 
tion you  want  treatin'  the  perisher  to  two  bot- 
tles of  this  stuflP;  two  bottles  is  too  little  to  take 
ashore  with  you  as  a  present,  and  it's  one  too 
many  if  you're  just  going  to  oflFer  him  a  drink 
after  he's  caught." 

The  Captain  joined  issue,  and  the  argument 
went  on  till  thirst  joined  with  Harman,  and 
the  Captain  -gave  in.  The  second  bottle  was 
opened. 

And  now  a  strange  thing  happened.  No 
sooner  had  the  contents  of  the  second  bottle 
vanished  than  the  Captain  himself  prepared 
to  finish  the  business. 

It  was  the  Irishman  coming  out. 

"There's  no  use  in  one  bottle,"  said  he,  "and, 
for  the  matter  of  that,  I  can  get  him  aboard  on 


1 


tii 


98 


SEA  PLUNDER 


the  promise  of  beer.    How*8  he  to  know  there 
is  none?" 

Harman  actually  protested— feebly  enough, 
it  is  true— yet  he  protested,  holding  out  his 
glass  at  the  same  time.  There  was  a  Scotch 
strain  in  Harman. 

When  they  had  finished,  they  filled  the  bot- 
tles with  water  and  recorked  them. 

"They're  just  as  good  like  that,"  said  the 
Captain,  "for  Sprengel." 


aSilE 


fm 


VIII 


SPRENQEL 

At  seven  o'clock  next  morning  Christobal 
showed  up  on  the  far  horizon,  and  by  ten 
o'clock  the  Penguin  was  heading  for  the 
anchorage,  with  the  Captain  on  the  bridge  and 
Harman  beside  him. 
It  was  a  lovely  island. 

A  broken  reef  protected  the  beach  from  the 
full  force. of  the  sea,  and  the  cliffs  showed 
green  with  foliage  and  flecked  at  one  point  by 
the  eternal  smoke  of  a  torrent.  Beyond  the 
beach  a  white  frame  house  with  a  veranda 
showed,  and  on  cither  side  native  houses  nes- 
tled among  the  cocoanut  trees  and  bread- 
fruits. The  faint  wind  blowing  from  land- 
ward brought  the  perfume  of  vanilla  and 
flowers,  coloured  birds  flew  in  the  blue  sky 
above  the  trees,  while  the  tunc  of  the  blue  sea 

99 


100 


SEA  PLUNDER 


beating  on  the  reef  came  like  the  song  of  sleep 
and  summer. 

A  sulphur-tinted  butterfly  flittered  across 
the  water  on  the  wind,  as  if  to  inspect  the  ship, 
and  flittered  away  again.  On  the  beach  could 
be  seen  several  natives  standing  and  watching 
their  approach,  motionless  and  seemingly  in- 
curious. 

"It's  all  deep  water  through  the  break  and 
beyond,"  said  the  Captain.  "We  don't  want 
any  pilot." 

"There's  a  chap  come  out  on  the  veranda 
of  th^  house,'  said  Harman. 

The  Captain  picked  up  the  glass  he  had 
been  using,  and  turned  it  on  the  figure  in  the 
veranda 

"That's  him,"  said  he.  "That's  the  chap 
right  enough.    Take  a  look." 

Harman  put  the  glass  to  his  eye,  and  the 
veranda  and  the  man  leaped  within  ten  feet 
of  him. 

The  man  was  short,  stout,  bull-necked,  bul- 
let-headed, wearing  a  close,  clipped  beard  and 
with  his  hair  cut  to  the  bone. 


THE  BUCCANEERS  loi 

"He  ain't  a  beauty,"  said  Harman.  "Look, 
he's  going  into  the  house,  and  here  he  comes 
out  again." 

Sprengel  had  brought  out  a  pair  of  marine 
glasses  and  was  observing  the  ship  through 
them. 

"Wonder  if  he  recognises  me,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain. 

Then  he  stood  silent,  whistling  now  and 
then,  and  now  and  then  giving  an  order  to  the 
fellow  at  the  wheel. 

One  of  the  hands  was  heaving  the  lead;  his 
hard,  thin  voice  came  up  to  the  bridge  in  a 
snarl : 

"Mark  fourl  Mark  fourl  Quarter  less 
four!" 

The  Captain  rang  the  engines  to  half  speed, 
then  to  dead  slow.  The  Penguin  passed  the 
opening  in  the  reef.  The  water  she  rode  on 
was  like  blue  satin  billowed  under  by  wind; 
then,  in  the  glassy  smooth  beyond,  Harman, 
who  was  forward  attending  to  the  anchor, 
glancing  over  the  side,  saw  the  coral  floor  be- 


I02 


SEA  PLUNDER 


hi 


I         ! 

1        1 
«»  (I-    « 


-    '..•» 


neath  them  clearly  as  though  he  were  looking 
at  it  through  air. 

The  Captain  rang  the  engines  off,  the  wheel 
flew  to  starboard,  and  the  rumble-tumble  of 
the  anchor  chain  through  the  hawse  pipe  came 
back  in  moist  echoes  from  the  woods  and  cliffs. 

Then,  the  ship  safely  berthed,  the  Captain 
had  time  to  turn  his  attention  to  the  shore. 

Sprengel  had  vanished  into  the  house,  and 
the  few  natives  on  the  shore  were  still  standing 
about  in  attitudes  of  indifference.  One  had 
taken  his  seat  on  the  sand,  and  though  there 
were  several  canoes  on  the  beach  there  was 
no  evidence  of  any  thought  of  launching  them. 

"It's  a  good  job  we  scoxfed  that  Pilsener," 
said  Harman,  who  had  come  up  on  the  bridge. 
"It  wouldn't  have  been  no  use  for  this  chap. 
You  won't  get  this  chap  on  board  without  a 
windlass  and  a  derrick.  No,  sir  I  He's  one  of 
the  retirin'  kind.  He  won't  trade,  and  he 
won't  be  civil.  I  reckon  you'd  better  get  that 
spar  gun  trained  on  the  beach  and  some  of  our 
chaps  ready  for  a  landin'  witii  the  rifles,  scoop 


THE  BUCCANEERS  103 

all  the  money  and  valuables  we  can  find,  and 
cut  stick." 

"I've  been  thinking  so  myself,"  said  the 
Captain.  "There's  no  use  wasting  time  en- 
ticing this  chap  on  board.  Train  the  gun  and 
get  the  landing  party  ready  with  rifles  and  cut- 
lasses." 

He  came  down  from  the  bridge,  and  went 
aft  to  his  cabin  to  put  on  his  best  coat.  When 
he  came  up  again  the  whaleboat  was  lowered 
and  the  landing  party  getting  into  her. 

They  certainly  were  a  most  terrific-looking 
lot,  and  when  the  boat's  nose  touched  the  sand 
and  they  scrambled  out  and  lined  up  under 
the  direction  of  Harman,  the  natives  looking 
on  lost  their  look  of  indifference,  turned,  and 
bolted  for  the  woods. 

"They  don't  like  the  look  of  us,"  said  the 
Captain.  "Now  then,  you  cnaps,  no  chasing 
them.  You  follow  after  me,  and  do  what  Mr. 
Harman  bids  you.  Let  one  man  of  you  dis- 
obey orders  and  he'll  have  to  settle  with  me." 

He  produced  a  navy  revolver  from  his 
pocket.    It  was  the  only  serviceable  weapon 


104 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Is 

i 


'nr 


of  the  expedition,  barring  the  cutlasses ;  they 
knew  it,  and  they  knew  him,  and  they  followed 
like  lambs  as  he  walked  toward  the  house  on 
whose  veranda  Sprengel  had  reappeared. 

Ten  yards  away  he  ordered  the  others  to 
halt,  and  advanced  alone,  putting  the  revolver 
back  in  his  pocket. 

Sprengel  was  in  pajamas,  and  he  had  been 
perspiring  with  the  heat;  he  was  also  in  a  bad 
temper  and  a  bit  frightened,  all  of  which  con- 
ditions did  not  add  to  the  beauty  of  his  ap- 
pearance. 

"Mr.  Sprengel,  I  believe,"  said  the  Captain, 
opening  the  business. 

"That  is  my  name,"  replied  the  other.  "And 
who  are  you,  may  I  ask,  and  what  is  your  ship 
doing  here  and  these  men?" 

"We  will  go  into  the  house  and  talk,"  said 
the  Captain,  "if  you  will  kindly  lead  the  way. 
I  am  the  Captain  of  a  British  auxiliary  cruiser 
come  to  have  a  few  words  with  you." 

He  followed  on  the  heels  of  Sprengel,  who 
evidently  had  not  recognised  him  in  the  least, 
into  a  large,  airy  room  floored  with  native 


c 


THE  BUCCANEERS  105 

matting  and  furnished  with  American  rock- 
ers, a  bamboo  couch,  a  table,  and  island  head- 
dresses and  spears  for  wall  decorations. 

"You  did  not  recognise  me  outside,"  said  the 
Captain.  "Perhaps  because  I  had  my  hat  on. 
Do  you  not  recognise  me  now?" 

"Not  from  Adam,"  replied  Sprengel  in  a 
violent  tone.  "I  only  know  that  you  have 
landed  on  my  beach  with  armed  men  and  that 
you  had  but  till  just  now  a  pistol  in  your  hand. 
Also,  I  recognise  that  your  ship  has  a  gun 
trained  on  my  house.  Are  you  aware  that  this 
is  a  German  island?" 

"That's  just  the  point,  my  dear  man,"  said 
the  Captain,  taking  a  seat  unasked.  "Are  you 
aware  that  England  is  at  war  with  Germany?" 
"Eh,  whati"  said  Sprengel,  turning  more 
fully  on  the  other.  "What  you  say?  England 
at  war  with  Germany!" 

"England  at  war  with  Germany.  Yes. 
That  is  what  I  said,  and  I  have  come  to  take 
your  island  in  the  name  of  the  British  govern- 
ment." 


Sprengel  sat  down  in  a  chair  and  mopped 


io6 


SEA  PLUNi  ER 


B     >i 


Ml 


himself.    Sprengel  had  been  practically  mon- 
arch of  Christobal  for  a  long  time. 

And  now  the  English  had  con^e. 

It  was  an  eventuality  he  had  always  feared, 
always  reckoned  with.  He  knew  that  war  was 
in  the  air.  He  also  knew  international  law, 
and  he  was  not  so  much  put  out  as  might  have 
been  expected. 

Indeed,  he  was  frankly  impudent. 

"Well,  I  did  not  make  the  war,"  said  he. 
"I  am  an  honest  trader  going  about  my  busi- 
ness. If  Christobal  is  English — ^well,  it  can- 
not be  helped — till  we  take  it  back  from  Eng- 
land. I  claim  the  rights  of  international  law. 
My  property  is  sacred." 

"International  law,  what  is  that?"  asked 
Blood. 

"Something  you  would  not  understand,  but 
which  your  peddling  government  fears  and  re- 
spt  ^  Something  which  they  would  like  to 
put  to  one  side,  but  which  they  cannot." 

"Oh,  can't  they?  Do  you  mean  to  imply 
that  your  property  can't  be  touched  because 
of  international  law?" 


THE  BUCCANEERS  107 

"Ab-so-/«tely." 

"We'll  soon  see  about  that,"  said  Blood,  "for 
I've  come  to  take  away  every  rag  you've  got 
and  every  penny.  I'll  leave  you,  for  you  ain't 
very  good,  and  you  can  keep  the  house  and 
the  good  will  of  the  business,  but  I  want  your 
money." 

He  stood  up. 

So  did  Sprengel.  Say  what  we  may  about 
the  Prussians,  they  are  certainly  plucky 
enough. 

Threatened  with  spoliation,  all  the  latent 
fury  of  the  man  flamed  out  and  centred  on 
Blood.  He  stood  for  a  moment  visibly  swell- 
ing; then  he  charged. 

Fad  that  charge  gone  home  it  would  have 
bee  the  worse  for  the  Captain.  Instead  of 
mct.ing  it,  however,  he  stepped  aside;  Spren- 
gel met  the  wall,  nearly  bringing  the  house 
down,  and  Harman,  who  had  been  listening 
on  the  veranda,  rushed  in. 

He  had  brought  some  signal'halyard  line 
with  an  eye  for  eventualities,  and  they  bound 
the  enemy  without  much  trouble. 


io8 


SEA  PLUNDER 


--^      ir 


"Listen  to  him  I"  said  Harman.  "Listen  to 
him  chatterin'  about  outrages  to  noncom- 
batants.  What  are  ye  yourself  but  an  outrage, 
you  fat  ProosianI  Capt'in,  lend  me  your 
wipe." 

The  Captain  handed  over  his  handkerchief, 
and  Harman,  with  suspicious  dexterity,  rolled 
it  into  a  gag.  "That'll  stop  your  tongue,"  said 
he.    "And  now  for  the  plunder." 

They  found  the  safe  where  the  unfortunate 
Sprengel  kept  his  money.  There  were  five 
thousand  dollars  there  in  silver  and  American 
gold  coin,  and  a  bank  book  showing  a  huge 
balance  at  a  Berlin  bank.  Also  securities  for 
large  amounts.  They  respected  these,  as  they 
were  useless,  and  took  only  the  coin. 

Then  they  went  over  the  house  and  grounds 
adjoining,  and  the  total  loot  tabulated  roughly 
..an  to : 

The  amount  of  coin  already  specified. 
Five  thousand  cigars. 

A  suit  of  new  pajamas  and  a  safety  razor  in 
case. 

A  case  of  Florida  water,  six  bottles  of  eau 


THE  BUCCANEERS  109 

de  Cologne,  all  the  native  headdresses  adorn- 
ing the  sitting  room. 

A  live  parrot  in  a  cage,  half  a  dozen  chick- 
ens, and  half  a  boatload  of  vegetables. 

It  was  not  much,  but  it  was  all  that  they 
could  lay  hands  on.  Harman  wanted  to  in- 
clude a  native  girl  who  had  come  out  from 
among  the  trees  with  a  basket  of  fruit  on  her 
head,  not  knowing  what  was  going  on,  but  the 
Captain  vetoed  him.  He  only  took  the  fruit 
Then  they  pushed  off,  having  first  ungagged 
their  victim,  unbound  him,  and  locked  him  in 
the  house. 

"And  the  funny  thing  is,"  said  the  Captain 
when  they  had  gained  the  deck  and  the  boat 
was  being  winched  on  board,  "he  never  re- 
membered me,  and  he  doesn't  know  yet  who 
I  am." 

"Why  didn't  you  tell  him?"  said  Harman. 

"I  thought  of  it,  and  then  I  held  my  tongue. 
There  might  be  a  chance  of  him  making  mis- 
chief when  the  war  is  over  if  he  knew  my 

name." 

"But  how  in  the  nation  could  he  make  mis- 


no 


SEA  PLUNDER 


i  i 


r> 


J 

If'* 

w 


•f  .  f 


..I 


/I  I 


chief?"  said  the  simple-minded  Harman. 
"Germany  bust  or  England  bust,  it's  all  the 
same.  What  you  done  was  in  war  time,  and 
80  doesn't  count." 

"I'm  not  so  sure  of  that,"  said  the  Captain. 
"I  am  not  at  all  too  sure  of  that  All  that  blab 
of  Sprengel's  about  the  property  of  nonbel- 
ligerents  may  have  something  in  it.  I'm  not 
sure  that  it  mayn't.  It  seems  to  me  I've  heard 
something  about  it  before.  Blast  all  non- 
belligerents;  there's  always  some  thom  in  the 
rose. 

"Then,  leaving  the  question  of  nonbelligcr- 
ents  aside,  we  have  to  think  of  our  own  posi- 
tion. We  haven't  a  letter  of  marque,  we  hare 
no  more  right  to  go  hoofing  about  the  seas  gob- 
bling German  property  than  you  have  to  go 
down  Broadway  lifting  folk's  watches." 

"Well,  what  right  have  we  to  anything  at 
all?"  cut  in  the  exasperated  Harman.  "Ac- 
cordin'  to  you,  we  haven't  the  right  to  breathe 
nor  live." 

"Well,  it's  this  way,"  said  Blood.   "We  have 


I   4 


THE  BUCCANEERS  m 

a  perfect  right  tq  breathe  and  live  as  long  as 
we  can  keep  our  necks  out  of  the  noose." 

"D'ye  mean  to  say  they'd  hang  us?" 

"It's  highly  probable.  The  Germans 
would,  anyhow." 

Harman  had  been  attending  to  the  unload- 
ing of  the  boat  all  through  this  talk.  He  now 
went  and  spat  over  the  side,  and  then  came 
back  to  his  companion. 

"That's  cheerful,"  said  he. 

"They  might  give  you  the  choice  of  shoot- 
ing instead  of  hanging,"  went  on  the  Captain. 
"For  myself,  I  prefer  hanging,  I  think,  if  it's 
properly  done." 

"Oh,  Lord,  no!"  said  Harman.  "I've  seen 
three  fellows  hanged,  and  I've  swore  I  would 
never  get  hanged  if  I  could  help  it  Give  me 
shootin',  but  shootin'  or  hangin'  there's  one 
thing  fixed." 

"And  what's  that?" 

"We've  got  the  boodle.  I  ain't  one  of  your 
clever  chaps,  and  I've  no  education  to  speak 
of,  but  I've  noticed  in  life  that  the  chaps  who 


112 


SEA  PLUNDER 


I'  « 


^1 


-1 1^*, 


t  *l 


get  on  are  the  chaps  who  get  a  thing  fixed  and 
stand  on  it,  same  as  a  chap  stands  on  a  scaf- 
folding and  builds  from  it,  same  as  a  chap 
builds  a  house  and  doesn't  care  a  durn  for  the 
future. 

"Now  we've  got  the  boodle  fixed,"  Mr.  Har- 
man  went  on,  "there's  no  use  in  bothering 
whether  we're  to  be  shot  or  die  natural  in  our 
bunks.  We've  gone  a  certain  distance,  and 
what  I  says  is,  now  we've  gone  so  far  let's  go 
the  whole  hog.  Let's  rob  every  one  we  can  lay 
hands  on.    That's  my  idea." 

"Germans,  you  mean?" 

"I  ain't  particular  about  Germans,"  said 
Mr.  Harman.  "Anything  with  money  to  it  is 
good  enough  for  me,  but  if  it  eases  your  mind 
we'll  call  'em  Germans." 

The  Captain  whistled  for  a  moment  over 
this  broad  plan.  Then  he  went  to  superintend 
the  fellows  who  were  making  ready  to  get  the 
anchor  in. 

There  were  no  capstan  bars  on  board  the 
Penguin;  a  steam  winch  did  the  business.   He 


THE  BUCCANEERS  113 

gave  the  signal  for  steam  to  be  turned  on,  and 
then  went  up  on  the  bridge. 

The  rattle  and  rasp  of  the  winch  pawls  and 
the  links  of  the  anchor  chain  as  it  was  hauled 
through  the  hawse  pipe  roused  echoes  from 
the  shore.  The  gulls  fishing  on  the  little  har- 
bour made  by  the  protecting  reef  rose,  clam- 
ouring and  beating  their  wings,  and,  as  though 
the  sound  of  the  anchor  chain  had  managed  to 
free  Sprengel,  he  appeared,  having  managed 
to  work  his  way  out  of  a  window. 

He  came  running  down  to  the  beach,  shak- 
ing his  fist  and  shouting  till  the  Captain,  more 
for  the  fun  of  the  thing  than  any  other  reason, 
picked  up  a  rifle  and  aimed  it  at  him. 

Then   he   turned   and   vanished   into   the 

woods. 

The  slack  of  the  anchor  chain  was  now  in 
and  now  the  anchor  itself  left  the  water  and 
was  hoisted,  dripping,  to  the  catheads.  The 
Captain  rang  on  the  engines,  and  the  Penguin 
began  to  back  out.  She  could  have  turned, 
but  It  was  easier  to  back  her  out,  especially  as 
the  sea  was  so  smooth. 


114 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Outside  the  reef,  ai  the  ilued  round,  she  let 
go  her  siren. 

Three  times  its  echoes  returned  from  the 
moist-throated  woods  and  cliffs;  then,  full 
speed  ahead,  she  went  toward  the  east 


- 1 


R    '-  I 


IX 


THE  "MINERVA" 

Next  morning  early,  Harman,  standing  on 
the  bridge  by  the  Captain,  pointed  to  a  smudge 
on  the  eastern  horizon.  The  smoke  of  a 
steamer. 

The  Captain  glanccd  at  the  spot  indicated, 
shading  his  eyes  with  his  hand;  then  he  took 
the  glass  from  its  sling. 

"I  can't  make  her  clearly  out,"  said  he. 
"The  wind  is  covering  her  with  her  own 
smoke." 

"She's  maybe  the  mail  boat  that  runs  to 
Samoa,"  said  Harman,  "or  maybe  she's  just  a 
tramp.    What  are  you  goin'  to  do?" 

"How  d'you  mean?" 

"Well,  I  mean  just  that.  Are  we  goin'  to  let 
her  slip  through  our  hands?" 

"Harman,"  said  the  Captain,  "when  I 
signed  on  for  this  cruise  I  knew  I  was  going 

"5 


w 


ii6 


SEA  PLUNDER 


in  for  a  shady  job;  still,  there  didn't  seem 
much  to  it,  anyway.    I  knew  Shiner  was  going 
to  tinker  up  a  cable,  and  I  judged  he  was 
clever  enough  to  pull  the  business  through 
safely  and  give  us  all  a  big  profit.    Well,  that 
scheme  is  all  gone,  and  now  I'm  a  bloody 
pirate,   it  seems.     The  war  with   Germany 
started  me  on  the  road,  and  there's  no  use  in 
crying  out  and  saying,  or  pretending,  we're 
privateers.    We  arer't;  we're  pirates.    That's 
the  long  and  the  short  of  it.    We  aien't  mak- 
ing war  on  Germany;  we  are  just  collecting 
dibbs  for  ourselves.    I'm  not  proud  of  it,  not 
by  a  long  way ;  but  we're  in  for  it  now  and  may 
as  well  make  the  most  of  \t.   You  ask  me  what 
I  am  going  to  do  with  this  vessel?    Well,  I'm 
going  to  go  through  her." 

"Good!"  said  Harman.  "I'm  not  one  for 
runnin'  extra  risks,  but  we've  risked  so  much 
already  it's  a  pity  not  to  risk  a  bit  more  when 
we  have  the  chanct.  For  it's  not  once  in  a  life- 
time a  chanct  comes  to  sailormen  like  this." 

"I  don't  suppose  it  is,"  said  Blood.  "It's 
not  every  day  that  chaps  like  Shiner  and  Wolff 


■k: 


THE  BUCCANEERS  117 

fit  out  a  cable-cutting  party  and  get  informa- 
tion of  war  right  first  thing  through  the  cut 
cable.  Ah,  the  smoke's  clearing  and  her  hull's 
coming  out;  let's  see  what  she's  like." 

He  put  the  glass  to  his  eye  and 'examined 
llie  distant  ship;  then  as  he  looked  he  began 
to  whistle. 

"Well,"  said  he,  taking  the  glass  from  his 
eye,  "I  reckon  we  won't  go  through  her— she's 
a  man-o'-war." 

"Whatcha  say!"  cried  Harman,  seizing  the 
glass.    He  looked.    Then  he  said: 

"I  reckon  you're  right;  she's  a  fightin'  ship 
sure  enough.    I  guess  we'll  let  her  go  this  time 
our  armaments  bein'  so  unequal;  she's  headin' 
right  for  us,  and  if  you  ask  for  my  advice  I'd 
rdvise  a  shift  of  helm." 

"Yes,"  said  Blocd,  "and  don't  you  know  that 
the  first  thing  she'd  do  if  we  shifted  our  helm 
without  a  reason  would  be  to  come  smelling 
round  us?  Don't  you  know  that  a  man-o'-war 
has  no  business  to  do  at  all  but  to  look  after 
's  businesses?  She's  not  due  to  time 
;  she's  got  no  cargo  to  deliver,  no 


anywhc 


lir;| 


ii8 


SEA  PLUNDER 


.t  '. 


owners  to  grumble  at  her  if  she^s  a  day  late. 
No,  her  business  is  to  keep  her  eye  out  on  the 
watch  for  shady  people  like  you  and  me,  and 
of  course  for  the  enemy  if  it's  war  time.  No, 
I  reckon  we'll  keep  straight  on,  but  there's 
one  thing  we'll  do,  and  that  is  dismantle  the 
spar  gun.  I  reckon  a  dummy  gun  would  be  a 
difficult  thing  to  explain  away,  and  that, 
backed  by  the  faces  of  our  chaps  and  the  fact 
that  we  haven't  a  yard  of  cable  in  our  tanks 
and  no  log  except  the  one  I  faked  up  and  for- 
got to  keep  to  date  more'n  a  week  ago.  Might 
get  us  into  very  serious  trouble." 

"Is  she  a  Britisher,  do  you  think?"  asked 
Harman,  still  ogling  the  approaching  vessel 
through  the  glass. 

"We'll  soon  see,"  replied  the  Captain. 

He  came  down  from  the  bridge,  and  hustled 
the  fellows  round,  making  them  remove  the 
dummy  gan  and  place  it  down  below  on  the 
cable  deck. 

Then  he  came  back  on  to  the  bridge. 

The  stranger  had  ceased  firing  up,  and  had 
cleared  herself  of  smoke.    She  was  a  cruiser 


1 1; 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


119 


right  enough,  one  of  the  modern,  swift,  small- 
tonnage  cruisers  that  can  yet  sink  you  with  a 
broadside  or  cripple  you  most  effectually  with 
a  bow  chaser  and  from  the --distance  of  four 
miles. 

Blood  laughed  as  he  looked  at  her. 

"I  expect  she  can  do  her  twenty-five  knots," 
sal-*  he.  "Piracy!  Who  could  do  anything 
with  piracy  these  days  between  wireless  and 
things  like  that.  Harman,  I  guess  I'm  sick  of 
this  business  and  the  uncertainty  of  it.  I  guess 
if  this  chap  passes  us  and  leaves  us  alone  I'' I 
make  tracks  for  home — ^which  means  Frisco. 
We  can  get  rid  of  the  Penguin  somehow  or 
'nother  and  crawl  up  home  through  Central 
America.  Crawl  up  home,  those  are  my  senti- 
ments now,  for  I've  got  a  feeling  down  my 
spine  that  this  chap  is  going  to  stop  and  speak 
to  us." 

"Why  should  she  do  that?"  said  Harman. 
"Wish  you  wouldn't  be  drawin'  bad  luck  by 
prophesying  it.  Why  in  the  nation  should  she 
stop  a  harmless  cable  ship?" 

'Well,  if  she's  a  German  she'd  stop  us  to 


I20 


SEA  PLUNDER 


see  if  we  are  English,  and  then  sink  us,  and  if 
she's  a  Britisher  she'd  stop  us  to  see  if  we  were 
Gennan.  I  wouldn't  mind  in  either  case  only 
for  the  Spreewald  and  Christobal  Island  and 
Wo!ff  and  Shiner.  If  the  Germans  were  to 
take  us,  and  Wolff  and  Shiner  were  to  get  news 
of  our  capture  they'd  make  things  pretty  warm 
for  us." 

"Let's  hope  she's  a  Britisher,"  said  Harman. 

A  mile  off  the  stranger,  who  had  obviously 
slackened  speed,  ported  her  helm  slightly  to 
give  the  Penguin  a  view  of  what  she  was  say- 
ing. 

She  was  saying,  in  the  lan^-uage  of  coloured 
flags: 

"Lay  to  till  I  board  you " 

"She  doesn't  ask  to  be  invited,"  said  Blood. 
"Run  up  the  Stars  and  Stripes — thank  God 
she's  English  I — but  then  we're  German;  at 
least  we're  owned  by  Wolff  and  Shiner,  and 
they're  German  as  sausages.  Of  course,  they 
mav  have  become  naturalised  Americans,  but 
a  British  ship  is  not  likely  to  go  into  the  fam- 
ily history  of  Shiner  or  Wolff.    Down  with 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


121 


you,  Harman,  anyway,  and  get  the  ship's  pa- 
pers together  and  have  a  box  of  cigars  on  the 
table  for  the  chap  that  is  sure  to  come  aboard. 
And  mind,  you  know  nothing;  pretend  to  be 
a  bit  silly,  though  that  doesn't  need  much  pre- 
tence. Keep  your  mouth  closed  and  refer 
everything  to  me.  I  guess  this  situation  will 
require  some  fancy  work  in  the  way  of  lying." 

"I'll  be  mum,"  said  Harman. 

He  slid  down  the  bridge  steps,  and  scuttered 
along  the  deck  to  the  saloon  companionway, 
while  Blood,  alone  in  his  glory  on  the  bridge, 
and  trying  to  assume  the  dignity  that  he  did 
not  feel,  gave  his  orders  to  the  crew. 

Ke  rang  the  engines  to  half  speed,  and  then 
to  dead  slow;  then  he  rang  them  off,  and  the 
Penguin,  whose  heart  had  stopped  beating,  one 
might  have  fancied  through  fright,  lay  mov- 
ing slightly  to  the  swell  and  waiting  for  the 
attentions  of  the  Minerva,  for  that  was  the 
stranger's  name. 

She  formed  a  pretty  picture  across  the  blue 
water  despite  her  ugly  colouring  and  her  sin- 
gular lines.    One  knows  it  to  be  bad  taste  to 


m^. 


m  ■  '^ 


umM^^  i  ik 


1 


122 


SEA  PLUNDER 


'^SO 


praise  enthusiastically  the  new  engines  of  war- 
fare on  land  or  sea.  All  the  same,  a  twenty- 
five-knot  cruiser,  with  her  teeth  showing,  gives 
one  a  picture  of  power  and  speed  combined 
hard  to  beat  in  the  present,  and  perfectly  un- 
beaten by  the  past. 

Blood  was  not  thinking  things  like  this.  He 
was  taking  the  measure  of  the  six-inch  guns 
that  seemed  straining  their  long  necks  to  get 
at  him ;  also  of  the  little  guns  that  showed  their 
fangs  at  all  sorts  of  loopholes  and  unexpected 
places.  He  had  never  been  so  close  up  to  the 
business  side  of  a  warship  in  all  his  sea  experi- 
ence, and  he  noticed  everything  with  the  fresh- 
ness and  the  vividness  and  the  deep,  deep  inter- 
est that  objects  assume  for  us  when  they  sud- 
denly become  bound  up  with  our  most  vital  in- 
terests and  our  lives. 

I  can  fancy  Charles  the  First  quite  disre- 
garding Bishop  Juxon,  the  crowd,  and  all  the 
great  considerations  that  must  have  crowded 
about  the  scaffold  erected  in  Whitehall;  dis- 
regarding all  these  while  he  fixed  his  eyes  on 
the  axe  with  its  handle  of  good  English  beach- 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


123 


wood  and  its  blade  of  British  iron.  That  axe 
spoke  to  him  if  anything  ever  spoke  to  him, 
and  it  said,  in  words  as  well  as  deed :  I  am  the 
symbol  of  the  British  people. 

To  Blood  the  Minerva  was  saying  the  same 
thing. 

Blood  was  a  Nationalist — when  he  had  any 
politics  at  all — and  maintained  a  sentimental 
dislike  for  Britannia.  He  really  did  not  dis- 
like her,  but  he  fancied  he  did.  In  reality,  he 
admired  her.  He  admired  her  as  a  lady 
whom,  to  use  his  own  language,  you  may  belt 
about  the  head  as  much  as  you  like,  but  who 
is  sure  to  give  you  the  knock-out  blow  in  the 
long,  long  end. 

The  Minerva  was  one  of  the  things  she  hit 
people  with,  and  the  weapon  impressed  him. 
The  incongruity  of  the  fact  that  he  had  been 
robbing  Germans  in  the  name  of  England  did 
not  strike  him  at  all. 

There  are  all  sorts  of  subtleties  in  the  Irish 
character  that  no  foreigner,  be  he  Englishman 
or  German  or  Frenchman  or  Scot  or  Welsh- 
man, can  understand. 


f1 


124 


SEA  PLUNDER 


»■:     s 


Blood,  then,  though  he  had  been  out  of  Ire- 
land long  enough  to  lose  his  brogue  almost  en- 
tirely, though  England  had  "betrayed  his 
country  in  the  past,"  and  had  never  done  much 
for  him  in  the  present  would,  had  he  seen  an 
English  and  a  German  ship  in  action,  have 
joined  in  on  the  side  of  England.  He  had 
often  abused  England,  yet  at  a  pinch  he  would 
have  fought  for  her. 

That  is  the  Irish  attitude,  and  it  is  unal- 
terable. Ireland  is,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  bound 
to  England  in  wedlock.  John  Bull  married 
her  forcibly  a  great  many  years  ago,  and 
treated  her  cruelly  bad  after  the  marriage. 
She  is  always  flinging  the  fact  at  his  head,  and 
she  will  go  on  doing  so  till  doomsday,  but  she 
is  his  wife,  and  no  matter  what  she  says  she  is 
always  ready,  at  a  pinch,  to  go  for  any  stranger 
that  interferes  with  him. 

When  Blood  declared  war  against  the  Ger- 
mans he  did  so  in  all  good  faith  as  an  ally  of 
England.  Cold  reflection,  however,  told  him 
that  England  would  certainly  not  recr.  ?nise 
that  alliance,  nor  would  she  recognise  the  Pen- 


THE  BUCCANEERS  125 

guin  as  one  of  her  fighting  ships,  official  or  un- 
official, that  with  her  peculiar  ideas  as  to  the 
rights  of  belligerents  and  nonbelligerents  she 
might  be  as  bad  a  party  to  be  captured  by  as 
Germany. 

He  knew  quite  well  now  that  between  the 
Spreewald  affair  and  the  Sprengel  business,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  original  cable-cutting  ad- 
venture, he  would  have  an  exceedingly  bad 
time  were  this  cruiser  to  clap  the  shackles  on 
him. 

He  watched  her  now  as  she  dropped  a  boat; 
then  he  leaned  over  and  shouted  to  Harman, 
who  had  come  on  deck  again,  to  have  the  com- 
panionway  lowered. 

Then,  as  the  boat  came  alongside,  he  came 
down  from  the  bridge  to  meet  his  fate. 

A  young,  fresh-looking  individual  came  up 
the  steps—a  full  lieutenant  by  his  stripes— sa- 
luted the  quarter-deck  in  a  perfunctory  man- 
ner, recognised  Blood  at  once  as  the  kipper, 
and  addressed  him  without  ceremony. 

"What's  the  name  of  your  ship?"  asked  the 
lieutenant. 


126 


SEA  PLUNDER 


1.1. 


;■  \ 


"The Penguin" replied  Blood. 

"The  deuce  it  isl  Are  you  sure  it's  not  the 
Sea  Horse?" 

"The  which  horse?"  inquired  Blood,  whose 
temper  was  beginning  to  rise. 

It  was  his  first  experience  of  British  navy 
ways  with  merchantmen,  ways  which  are  usu- 
ally decided  and  heralded  by  language  which 
is  usually  abrupt. 

"Sea  Horse— Sea  Horse— ah !"  His  eye  had 
fallen  on  a  life  buoy  stamped  with  the  word 
"Penguin."  ^'You  are  iht  Penguin.  You  will 
excuse  me,  but  we  were  looking  after  some- 
thing like  you — a  fifteen-hundred-ton  grey- 
painted  boat.  The  Sea  Horse.  Tramp 
steamer  gone  off  her  head  and  turned  pirate, 
looted  a  German  vessel  under  pretence  that 
war  had  broken  out  between  England  and 
Germany." 

"Well,  it  wasn't  us,"  laughed  the  Captain. 
"Couldn't  you  see  we  were  a  cable  ship  by  the 
gear  on  deck?" 

"Yes,  but  the  message  came  to  us  by  wireless 
with  bare  details.   What  was  your  last  port?" 


THE  BUCCANEERS  127 

"Christobal  Island,  quite  close  here— wc 
have  only  left  it  a  few  hours,  and  by  the  same 
token  there  was  news  there  that  war  had 
broken  out  between  Germany  and  England." 
"How  did  they  get  it?" 
"Well,  the  fellow  there— Sprengel  is  his 
name— has  a  wireless  installation,  and  he 
picked  up  a  message  some  days  ago." 

"He  picked  up  a  lie.  It  has  been  all  over 
the  Pacific,  seems  to  me.  There's  been  a  sort 
of  dust-up  over  a  place  called  Agadir,  but 
there's  no  small  chance  of  war,  worse  luck. 
The  business  has  been  settled.  We  had  the 
news  only  yesterday." 

No  news  could  have  been  more  dumfound- 
ing  to  the  unfortunate  Blood  than  this.  The 
cable  message  that  had  so  upset  Shiner  and 
Wolff  had  been  some  lying  news-agency  ru- 
mour. On  the  strength  of  it  he  had  done  all 
he  had  done.  More  than  that  was  the  mystery 
oi  the  Sea  Horse.  What  on  earth  did  it  mean? 
Had  another  ship  gone  pirating  on  the  same 
rumour? 


128 


SEA  PLUNDER 


i-i 


I  i' 


He  managed,  however,  to  keep  a  cheerful 
countenance  and  even  to  speak. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "I'm  right  glad  to  hear 
that.  War  may  be  all  right  for  you,  but  it's 
no  good  to  our  business." 

"No,  I  don't  suppose  it  is,"  '-id  the  lieu- 
tenant. "Well,  I  suppose  you  are  all  right,  but 
just  as  a  matter  of  form  I'll  have  a  glance  at 
your  log." 

"Of  course,"  said  Blood,  with  death  in  his 
heart.  "If  you'll  come  down  to  the  saloon  I'll 
have  the  greatest  pleasure  in  showing  it  to 
you." 

The  lieutenant  followed  him  below. 

Harman  had  put  out  the  log  and  the  cigar 
box  on  the  saloon  table.  The  lieutenant  re- 
fused a  cigar,  but  showed  interest  at  the  sight 
of  the  log.    He  sat  down  and  opened  it, 

"Why,  good  heavens,"  said  he,  "you  haven't 
been  writing  it  up  for  days  and  weeks! 
Where's  your  first  officer's  log?" 

"Harman  doesn't  keep  one,"  said  Blood, 
whose  anger  was  beginning  to  rise  against  the 
situation  and  his  visitor. 


1* 


THE  BUCCANEERS  129 

"Who»8  Harman?"  inquired  the  other,  his 
eyes  running  over  the  entries. 

"My  first  officer." 

"Oh,  doesn't  he?  H'm— h»ml  Most  ex- 
traordinary—what's this?  'Reached  the  Spot.' 
What  spot?" 

"The  spot  on  the  cable  we  were  due  to  work 

on." 

"What  cable?" 

"You  must  ask  the  owners  that.   It's  private 

business." 

"Who  are  the  owners?" 
"Shiner  &  Wolff." 
"Where  are  they?" 

Blood  did  not  know  where  the  precious  pair 
might  be  at  that  moment,  but  he  answered  • 
"Frisco." 

"Are  they  a  cable  company  or  simple  cable 
repairers?" 

"Repairers,  I  think." 

"Where  are  the  rest  of  the  ship's  papers?" 
Blood  tramped  off  to  his  cabin,  and  returned 
with  a  bundle  of  all  sorts  of  documents. 
"Well,"  said  the  lieutenant,   "I  can't  go 


L%1 


130 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Ik 


through  them  now.  I  must  get  back  and  re- 
port. I'll  take  these  with  me  for  reference." 
He  bundled  log  and  papers  together  and  put 
them  under  his  arm. 

"Look  herel"  said  Blood.  "Are  you  taking 
those  off  the  ship?" 

"Only  for  reference,"  replied  the  other. 
"They  will  be  quite  safe,  and  you  car  have 
them  back  when  I  have  reported." 

"Very  well,"  said  Blood. 

"And  now  I'd  just  like  to  have  a  look  round. 
Follow  me,  please." 

This  was  a  new  departure.  A  command. 
Blood  followed,  sick  at  heart,  but  cigar  still 
m  mouth. 

The  lieutenant  evidently  knew  all  about 
cable  ships. 

He  stopped  at  the  after-cable  tank. 

"Cable  tank — how  much  have  you  on 
board?" 

"Not  an  inch,"  replied  Blood. 

"IT'ml  But  you  want  some  spare  cable  for 
mending  purposes." 

"We  used  it  all." 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


131 


The  officer  passed  on  through  the  square 
where  the  forward  cable  tank  was  situated, 
then  down  to  the  :abic  deck. 

Here  the  first  hng  he  spotted  was  the  in- 
fernal spar  gun. 

He  smelled  round  it,  and  inquired  its  use. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Blood.  "It  was  on  the 
ship  when  I  joined— some  truck  left  over  from 
the  last  voyage,  I  believe." 

This  suddenly  recalled  the  inquisitor  to 
something  he  had  forgotten— Blood's  Board  of 
Trade  certificates. 

Blood  produced  them,  having  to  go  back  to 
his  own  cabin  for  them.  They  told  their  tale 
of  long  unemployment. 

The  lieutenant  was  a  gentleman,  and  having 
glanced  them  over  returned  them  without 
comment.  Then  he  left  the  ship  with  the  log 
and  the  papers  under  his  arm,  and  was  rowed 
back  to  the  Minerva. 

"What's  up?"  asked  Harman. 

"We  are,"  said  Blood.  "There's  no  war; 
the  whole  thing  was  a  lying  rumour  those  two 
guys  sucked  in  over  the  cable.    There  was  a 


132 


SEA  PLUNDER 


1^?' 


good  chance  of  war,  but  it  was  patched  up, 
and  it's  now  peace,  perfect  peace,  with  us 
perched  on  top  of  it  like  a  pair  of  blame  fools." 
He  told  the  whole  tale  that  we  know.  Then 
suddenly  light  broke  upon  him. 

"The  Sea  Horse,'*  said  he.  "I  see  the  whole 
thing  now — when  we  fired  those  two  blighters 
off  the  ship  and  shoved  them  on  the  Spreewald 
it  was  their  interest  not  to  give  the  show  away. 
We  were  nose  on  to  the  Spreewald,  so  she 
couldn't  see  our  name.  Shiner  and  Wolff 
would  be  the  last  men  to  give  their  own 
names,  considering  what  they'd  been  doing  and 
the  latitude  they  were  found  in.  They'd  be 
sure  to  pose  as  innocents  taken  off  some  other 
ship  by  us.  They'd  fake  up  a  yarn,  and  they'd 
fake  up  a  new  name  for  the  old  Penguin" 

They  had  gone  on  to  the  bridge  again  and 
they  were  talking  like  this  with  an  eye  always 
upon  the  Minerva,  that  arbiter  of  their  des- 
tinies. 

"That's  easy  enough  to  understand,"  said 
Harman.  "What  gets  me  is  how  to  under- 
stand our  position.    What  the  deuce  did  that 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


133 


scuffy  want,  cartin'  off  the  log  and  the  ship's 
papers  for?  Ain't  there  no  law  to  protect  an 
innocent  vessel  bein'  manhandled  by  a  dumed 
British  cruiser  in  times  of  peace?  What's  to 
become  of  peaceful  tradin'  if  such  things  is  al- 
lowed? Where's  the  rights  of  neutrals  if  a 
monkey  on  a  stick  like  that  blue-an'-gold  out- 
rage on  the  name  of  a  sailor  can  walk  on  board 
you  an'  walk  off  with  the  log  book  in  his 
pocket?  That's  what  I  want  to  know.  I'r.inot 
a  man  that  wants  much  in  this  here  world.  I 
only  wants  justice." 

"Faith,  and  I  think  you  are  going  to  get  it," 
said  the  Captain.  "Bare  justice,  as  the  little 
boy's  mother  said  when  she  let  down  his  pants. 
I'm  not  saying  I  didn't  do  most  of  the  inciting 
to  the  piracy  and  plundering,  but  whether  or 
no  we  are  all  in  the  soup,  and  the  chap  with 
the  ladle  is  fishing  for  us,  and  there's  no  use  in 
bothering  or  laying  blame— we'd  hare  shared 
equally  in  the  profits." 

"Oh,  I'm  makin'  no  remarks,"  said  Harman. 
"I'm  not  the  man  to  fling  back  at  a  pal,  and  I 
guess  I  can  take  the  kicks  just  the  same  as  the 


134 


SEA  PLUNDER 


ha'pence,  but  you've  a  better  ht  .dpiece  than 
me,  and  what  I  say  is,  be  on  the  lookout  to  get 
the  weather  gauge  of  these  jokers  so  be  it's  pos- 
sible. You  can  do  it  if  any  man  can — get  out 
of  the  soup  and  be  a  pineapple." 

"Give  us  a  chance,"  said  the  Captain.  "I'm 
not  going  to  haul  my  colours  down  without  a 
fight  for  it." 

They  stood  watching  the  Minerva.  Men 
were  cleaning  brasswork  on  board  of  her,  a 
squad  of  sailors  were  doing  Swedish  exercises; 
the  ship's  work  was  going  on  as  unconcernedly 
as  though  she  were  lying  in  harbour,  and  this 
vision  of  cold  method  and  absolute  indiflference 
to  all  things  but  duty  and  routine  did  not  uplift 
the  hearts  of  the  gazers. 

"They're  stuffed  with  pride,  those  chaps," 
said  the  single-minded  Harman.  "They  pot- 
ter about  and  potter  about  the  seas  with  their 
noses  in  the  air,  lockin'  down  at  the  likes  of 
us  who  do  all  the  work's  to  be  done  in  the 
world.  And  what  do  they  do?  Nothin'! 
They  never  carry  an  ounce  of  grain  or  a  hoof 
or  hide,  or  mend  a  cable  or  fetch  a  letter,  and 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


135 


they  looks  down  on  us  that  do  as  dirt.  You 
saw  that  josser  in  the  brass-bound  coat  and  the 
way  he  come  aboard— they're  all  alike." 

"She's  moving  up  to  us,'"  said  the  Captain, 
suddenly  changing  his  position.  "She  3  going 
to  speak  us." 

The  Minerva,  with  a  few  languid  flaps  of 
her  propeller,  was  indeed  moving  up  to  them. 
When  she  came  ranging  alongside,  within 
megaphone  distance,  a  thing— a  midshipman. 
Blood  said — speaking  through  a  megaphone 
nearly  as  big  as  itself  addressed  the  Penguin. 

"Ship  ahoy!  You  are  to  follow  us  down  to 
Christobal  Island." 

"Good  Lord!"  said  Harman.  The  Captain 
said  nothing,  merely  raising  his  hand  to  sig- 
nify that  he  had  understood. 

"What's  your  speed?"  came  again  the  voice 
through  the  megaphone. 

The  Captain  seized  the  bridge  megaphone. 

"Ten  knots,"  he  answered. 

"Right!"  came  the  reply.  "Follow  us  at 
full  speed." 

The  blue  water  creamed  at  the  Minerva's 


136 


SEA  PLUNDER 


forefoot  as  her  speed  developed.  She  drew 
away  rapidly,  and  the  Penguin  slowly  and 
sulkily  began  to  move,  making  a  huge  circle  to 
starboard. 

When  she  got  into  line  the  Minerva  was  a 
good  two  miles  ahead. 

Said  Harman,  for  the  Captain  was  speech- 
less: 

"I  call  this  playing  it  pretty  low  down. 
Jumping  Jeehoshophat,  but  we'll  be  had  be- 
fore Sprengel!  He  won't  rub  his  hands— oh. 
no !  I  guess  he  won't  rub  his  hands !  And  the 
old  Penguin  is  going  as  if  she  liked  it.  Ain't 
there  no  gunpowder  aboard  to  blow  a  hole  in 
her  skin  an'  sink  her?  And  that  dumed  Brit- 
ish cruiser  as  tight  fixed  to  us  as  though  she 
was  towing  us  with  a  forty-foot  hawser.  I 
reckon  if  I  had  some  poison  I'd  pour  it  out  and 
drink  it.  I  would  that!  I  feel  that  way  low 
down  I'd  pour  it  out  and  drink  it." 

"Oh,  shut  your  head!"  said  the  Captain. 
"You  carry  on  like  an  old  woman  with  the 
stomach  ache.  We're  caugnt  and  we're  being 
lugged  along  by  the  police  officer,  and  there's 


THE  BUCCANEERS  137 

no  use  in  clutching  at  the  railings  or  making 
1  disturbance.    The  one  good  thing  is  that  we 
hayen't  any  of  those  chaps  on  board  us,  sitting 
with  fixed  bayonets  on  the  saloon  hatch  and 
wc  in  the  saloon.    The  first  thing  to  be  done 
is  to  steal  as  much  distance  out  of  her  as  we 
can  without  her  kicking." 
He  went  to  the  engine-room  speaking  tube: 
''Below  there,  heave  any  muck  you  think 
:ikely  to  make  smoke  in  the  furnaces;  there's 
1  lot  of  old  rubber  and  canvas  waste  on  the 
cable  deck.    I'll  tell  Mr.  Harman  to  have  it 
5ent  down  to  you.    I  want  to  'pear  as  if  we 
^ere  doin'  more  than  our  best— yes,  we're 
caught  and  bein'  led  to  port,  and  we  mean  to 
have  a  try  to  get  loose;  keep  a  good  head  of 
?team,  and  keep  your  eye  on  the  engine-room 
rslegraph.    I'll  be  altering  the  sp<^.cd  now  and 


•-nen 


He  sent  Harman  to  do  what  he  said ;  then 
he  stood  watching  the  distant  Minerva.  She 
■VIS  now  about  two  and  a  quarter  miles  ahead. 
The  two  vessels  were  going  at  about  equal 
■reed,  with  the  balance  perhaps  in  favour  of 


138 


SEA  PLUNDER 


the  Minerva.    He  ordered  the  engines  to  half 
speed,  and  kept  them  so  for  a  couple  of  min 
utes,  then  put  them  on  to  full  speed  again.  The 
result  of  this  proceeding  was  an  almost  imper- 
ceptible gain  on  the  part  of  the  cruiser. 

In  the  next  two  hours,  by  the  skilful  use 
of  this  device,  the  distance  between  the  t^vo 
ships  was  increased  to  at  least  three  and  a  half 
miles.  Blood  was  content  with  that ;  so  gradu- 
ally had  the  increase  been  made  that  the 
Minerva,  suspecting  nothing,  stood  it,  but 
Blood  instinctively  felt  that  she  would  not 
stand  any  more.  The  man  had  a  keen  psycho- 
logical sense. 

He  was  reckoning  on  a  change  of  weather. 

The  wind  had  fallen  absolutely  dead,  and 
the  heat  was  terrific,  simply  because  the  air 
was  charged  with  moisture.  The  captain  knew 
these  latitudes. 

"I  don't  see  what  you're  after,"  said  Har- 
man,  coming  up  on  the  bridge.  "What's  the 
good  of  stealin'  a  few  cable  len'ths  out  of  her? 
We  can't  get  rid  of  her  by  day,  for  her  guns 
can  hit  us  at  six  miles,  and  if  we  made  a  show 


1    1. 1 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


139 


to  bolt  she'd  turn  and  be  on  us  like  a  cat 
pouncin'.  She  can  do  twenty-five  knots  to  our 
twelve.  Then  at  sundown  she's  sure  to  close 
with  us  and  keep  us  tied  tight  to  her  tail." 

"Maybe,"  said  the  Captain. 

He  said  nothing  more. 

An  hour  later  he  had  his  reward. 

The  horizon  to  westward  and  beyond  the 
Minerva  had  become  slightly  indistinct;  the 
horizon  to  eastward  and  behind  them  was  still 
brilliant  and  hard. 

He  knew  what  was  happening.  A  slight 
change  of  temperature  was  stealing  from  the 
west,  precipitating  the  moisture  as  it  came  in 
the  form  of  haze. 

He  put  his  hand  on  the  lever  of  the  tele- 
graph and  rang  the  engines  off. 

Harman  said  nothing.  He  went  to  the  side 
and  spat  into  the  sea.  Then  he  came  back  and 
stood  watching. 

"There's  nothing  like  haze  to  knock  gun 
firing  on  the  head,"  said  the  Captain. 

Harman  said  nothing,  but  moistened  his 
iips.   A  minute  passed,  and  then  the  Minerva, 


140 


SEA  PLUNDER 


i  . 


all  at  once,  like  a  person  showing  the  faintest 
sign  of  indecision,  showed  the  faintest  change 
in  definition.   The  faint  haze  had  touched  her. 

At  the  same  moment,  the  Captain  rang  up 
the  engines,  and  ordered  the  helm  to  be  put 
hard  astarboard.  The  Penguin  forged  ahead, 
and  began  to  turn. 

"They're  so  busy  cleaning  brasswork  and 
saluting  each  other  that  they  haven't  noticed 
Mr.  Haze,"  said  the  Captain.  "They're  new 
to  this  station  and  don't  know  that  Mr.  Fog  is 
sure  coming  on  her  heels.  Ah,  she's  seen  us, 
and  she's  turning." 

The  Minerva,  in  fact,  had  also  put  her  helm 
hard  astarboard. 

She  was  making  a  half  circle,  and  as  small 
a  half  circle  as  she  possibly  could,  but  the  Pen- 
guin had  got  a  quarter  circle  start  on  her,  and 
while  the  Minerva  was  still  going  about  the 
Penguin  was  oflf. 

If  hares  ever  chased  ducks  this  business 
might  be  compared  to  a  lame  duck  being 
chased  by  a  hare.  The  Minerva  could  steam 
ten  miles  to  the  Penguin^ s  five  and  over;  her 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


141 


guns  even  now  could  have  sunk  the  Penguin 
with  case,  though  they  might  not  have  made 
very  good  shooting,  owing  to  the  haze;  that 
elusive,  delusive  haze. 

"Below  there,"  cried  the  Captain  through 
the  engine-room  speaking  tube.  "Shake  your- 
self up,  MacBean!  Whack  the  engines  up— 
give  us  fifteen  or  burst!  What's  the  matter? 
We're  being  chased  by  that  British  cruiser, 
and  it's  the  penitentiary  for  the  lot  of  us  if 
we're  caught— that's  all." 

He  turned,  and  at  that  moment  the  Minerva 
spoke. 

A  plume  of  smoke  showed  at  her  bow,  there 
came  a  shrill,  long-drawn  "whoo-oooo'*  like  a 
hysterical  woman  "going  off"  somewhere  in 
the  sky,  then  a  jet  of  spume  and  a  lather  of 
foam  in  the  sea  two  cable  lengths  to  port 

It  was  a  practice  shell,  and  it  left  the  water 
and  made  another  plume  a  mile  and  a  half 
ihead  and  yet  another  a  mile  beyond  that. 

It  was  her  first  and  last  useful  word,  for 
30W  the  haze  had  her,  destroying  her  for 


■1^ 


142 


SEA  PLUNDER 


v^ar  purposes  as  efficiently  as  a  bursting  shell 
in  her  magazine. 

The  haze  had  also  taken  the  Penguin; 
everything  seemed  clear  all  around,  but  all 
distant  things  had  nearly  vanished. 

Another  shell  came  whooing  and  whining 
from  the  spectred  Minerva  before  the  white 
Pacific  fog  blotted  her  out. 

A  faint  wind  was  bringing  it,  less  a  wind 
than  a  travelling  chillness,  a  fall  of  tempera- 
ture, moving  from  east  to  west. 

The  Captain,  having  given  his  instructions 
to  the  helmsman,  left  the  bridge,  and  went 
down  below. 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  "PENGUIN" 

South  of  Chiloc  Island,  on  the  Chile  coast, 
there  lies  a  little  harbour  which  shall  be  name- 
less. 

Here,  six  days  later,  the  Penguin  was  hur- 
riedly coaling— on  the  Spreewald's  dollars. 

It  was  af  eight  o'clock  on  a  glorious  and 
summerlike  morning  that  she  put  out  of  this 
place  with  her  bunkers  only  half  full,  her 
stores  just  rushed  aboard  cumbering  the  deck, 
and  a  man  swung  over  the  stern  on  a  board, 
painting  her  name  out  above  the  thunder  and 
pow-wow  of  the  screw. 

Blood  would  never  have  wasted  paint  and 
time  in  the  attempt  to  alter  the  name  of  his 
ship  had  it  been  the  English  he  dreaded  now. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  word  had  come  to  the  chief 
official  at  the  little  nameless  port  above  indi- 
cated that  the  Germans  were  out  looking  for 

143 


144 


SEA  PLUNDER 


1 


'I' 
■St 
,  1' 


■-ii   '■> 


'I? 

1  :■*■! 


a  fifte'in-hundred-ton  cable  boat  named  the 
Penguin,  grey-painted  and  captained  by  a 
master  mariner  named  Michael  Blood. 

The  bleating  of  the  infernal  Spreeioald  had 
been  heard  all  over  the  Pacific.  Sprengel's 
bad  language  was  following  it.  The  Minerva 
had  communicated  by  wireless  with  the  Ger- 
man gunboat  Blitz,  lying  at  the  German  island 
of  Savaii,  in  the  Navigators.  The  Blitz  had 
spoken  to  the  cniiser  Homburg,  lying  at 
Tongatabu;  from  Tongatabu  it  had  been 
flashed  to  Fiji,  and  from  there  to  Sydney. 
From  Sydney  it  went  to  San  Francisco,  reach- 
ing the  City  of  the  Golden  Gate  in  time  for 
the  morning  newspapers ;  from  there  it  passed 
in  dots  and  dashes  down  the  west  American 
seaboard  to  Valparaiso  and  Valdivia. 

Added  to  all  the  turmoil,  the  cable  company 
whose  cable  had  been  broken  smelled  the  truth 
and  were  howling  for  the  Penguin's  blood. 

Marconi  wave?  from  Valparaiso  had  found 
the  German  cruiser  squadron  far  at  sea,  and 
they  had  started  on  the  hunt. 

This  was  the  news  that  had  come  to  the  chief 


THE  BUCCANEERS  145 

official  at  the  little  Chilean  port,  and  which, 
being  friendly  toward  Blood  and  unfriendly 
toward  Germany,  he  communicated  to  the 
former.  There  was  also  the  matter  of  a  tip, 
which  left  the  coffers  of  the  Penguin  com- 
pletely empty  after  the  account  for  coal,  pro- 
visions, and  harbour  dues  had  also  been  set- 
tled. 

"What's  the  course?"  asked  Harman  as  the 
coast  line  faded  behind  them. 

"Straight  out  to  sea,"  replied  Blood.  "Due 
west  till  we  cut  the  track  from  Taliti  to  the 
Horn;  then  southeast  for  the  Straits  of  Ma- 
gellan. Ramirez  is  going  to  fake  them  with 
the  news  that  we  have  gone  north." 

"Why  not  go  straight  for  the  Straits  down 
the  coast  instead  of  puttin'  out  like  this?" 

"They'll  be  hunting  the  coast;  sure  to  send 
a  ship  south.  They'll  never  think  of  us  going 
west;  the  last  thing  they'd  think  of." 
"Are  you  sure  Ramirez  is  safe?" 
"Oh,  he's  safe  enough.  He  hates  the  Ger- 
mans, and  he  has  taken  my  money.  He'll  stick 
to  his  bargain.   I  wish  we  were  as  safe.   Good 


Ifi  .1      I 


r  '  i 


f    ! 


.,     a'    .< 

m 

4 


mm 


146 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Lord,  every  cent  gone  and  nothing  to  show  for 
it  but  this  old  hooker  which  we  can't  sell,  and 
the  sure  and  certain  prospect  of  the  peniten- 
tiary if  we  don't  work  a  miracle — and  even 
then  we  are  lost  dogs.  Frisco  is  closed  to  us. 
We  never  can  show  our  noses  in  Frisco  again." 
"I  wouldn't  have  come  on  this  cruise  if  I'd 
known  things  was  goin'  to  pan  out  like  this," 
said  the  ingenuous  Harman.  "No,  indeedyl 
I'd  have  stuck  to  somethin'  more  honest.  What 
I  want  to  know  is  this :  What's  the  use  of  war, 
anyway?  When  it  has  a  chanct  of  doin'  a  man 
a  good  turn  the  blighted  thing  holds  off, 
whereas  if  you  and  me  had  been  runnin'  a 
peace  concern  it's  chances  that  it'd  have  come 
on.  No,  blamed  if  I  don't  turn  a  Methodis' 
passon  if  I  ever  get  out  0'  this  benighted  job. 
It's  crool  hard  to  be  choused  like  this  by  a  cus't 
underhand  trick  served  on  one  just  as  a  chance 
turns  up  to  make  a  bit.  Why  couldn't  they 
have  fought  and  been  done  with  it?  What's 
the  good  of  all  them  guns  and  cannons,  and 
all  them  ships?  What  in  the  nation's  the  good 
of  them  ships?    Seems  to  me  the  only  good  of 


.   f 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


147 


them  is  to  go  snuffin*  and  smellin'  round  the 
seas,  pokin'  their  guns  into  other  folk's  affairs 
and  spoilin'  their  jobs.  Well,  there's  an  end 
of  it  I'm  a  peace  party  man  now  and  forever 
more.  Blest  if  it  ain't  enough  to  make  a  man 
turn  a  Bible  Christian  1" 

"You'd  better  go  and  see  to  the  stowing  of 
the  stores,"  said  the  Captain.  "There's  no  use 
in  carrying  on  like  that.  I  didn't  make  war, 
or  else  I  guess  I'd  have  made  it  more  limber 
on  its  legs.    Come!    Hurry  up  I" 

They  stood  two  days  to  the  west,  and  then 
they  turned  to  the  south  coast  and  made  their 
dash  for  the  Straits. 

The  weather  had  changed.  It  was  steadily 
blowing  up  from  the  westward.^  The  sea,  un- 
der a  dull  sky,  had  turned  to  the  colour  of  lead, 
and  the  heavy  swell  told  of  what  was  coming. 

They  had  not  sighted  a  ship  since  leaving 
the  Chilean  coast,  but  three  days  after  altering 
their  course  the  smoke  of  a  steamer  appeared, 
blown  high  by  the  wind  and  far  to  westward. 
The  wind  had  scarcely  increased  in  force,  but 


148 


SEA  PLUNDER 


the  sea  was  tremendous  and  spoke  of  what  was 
coming. 

The  Captain,  on  the  bridge,  stood  with  a 
glass  to  his  eye,  trying  to  make  out  the  stranger- 
He  succeeded,  and  then,  without  comment, 
handed  the  glass  to  Harman. 

Harman,  steadying  himself  against  the  roll- 
ing and  pitching  of  the  ship,  looked. 

A  waste  of  tempestuous  water  leaped  at  him 
through  the  glass,  and  then,  bursting  a  wave 
top  to  foam  with  her  bows,  grey  as  the  seas  she 
rode  came  a  ship  of  war. 

A  cruiser,  with  guns  nosing  at  the  sky  as  if 
sniffing  after  the  traces  of  the  Penguin.  She  was 
coming  bow  on,  and  now,  falling  off  a  point 
or  two,  her  fore  funnel  seemed  to  broaden  out 
and  break  up.  It  was  the  three  funnels  show- 
ing, now  en  masse  and  now  individually. 
Then,  as  she  came  to  again,  the  three  funnels 
became  one. 

"She's  a  three-funnel  German,"  said  Har- 
man, "and  she  has  spotted  us." 

Even  as  he  spoke  the  wind  suddenly  in- 
creased in  violence. 


•0'^-  ' 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


149 


"I'm  not  bothering  about  her  much,"  said 
the  Captain.  "I'm  bothering  about  what's  in 
front  of  us." 

"Whacher  mean?" 

"Mean  I  Look  at  the  sea  and  the  stuff  that's 
coming.  Could  we  put  the  ship  about  in  this 
sea?  No,  we  couldn't.  You  know  very  well 
the  old  rolling  log  would  turn  turtle.  Well, 
what's  before  us?  A  lee  shore.  If  we  don't 
reach  the  opening  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan 
before  sundown  we're  dead  men  all.  Ger- 
mans !  I  wish  I  were  safe  in  the  hold  of  a  good 
German  ship." 

The  truth  of  his  words  burst  upon  Harman. 
There  are  no  lights  at  the  entrance  of  the  Ma- 
gellan Straits ;  the  entrance  is  not  broad ;  to  hit 
it  in  the  darkness  would  be  next  door  to  im- 
possible, and  not  to  hit  it  would  be  certain 
death. 

It  was  impossible  to  put  the  ship  about. 
Harman's  extraordinary  mind  did  not  seem 
much  upset  at  the  discovery. 

"D'ye  think  we'll  do  it?"  asked  he. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  the  Captain.   "We  may 


! 


*if.¥ 


^1 } 


150 


SEA  PLUNDER 


and  wc  mayn't.  You  see,  we  haren't  a  patent 
log.  I  haven't  had  a  sight  of  the  sun  for  two 
days.  I  can't  figure  things  to  a  nicety.  But 
if  I  had  ten  patent  logs  I  wouldn't  use  them 
now.  I'd  be  afraid  to — what  would  be  the 
good?  Mac  is  whacking  up  the  engines  for 
all  they're  worth." 

"Well,  maybe  we'll  do  it,"  said  Harman, 
applying  his  eye  again  to  the  glass.  Then: 
"She's  going  about." 
The  Captain  took  the  glass. 
The  cruiser  was  turning  from  her  prey  be- 
fore it  was  too  late.  It  was  a  terrific  spectacle, 
and  once  the  Captain  thought  she  was  gone. 
The  foam  was  bursting  as  high  as  her  fighting 
tops  and  the  grey  water  pouring  in  tons  over 
her  decks. 

Yet  she  did  it,  and  the  last  Blood  saw  of 
her  was  the  kick  of  her  propellers  through 
sheets  of  foam. 

At  four  o'clock  that  day  they  knew  that  they 
could  not  do  it.  There  was  no  grog  on  board, 
so  they  were  having  a  cup  of  tea  in  the  saloon. 
The  Captain  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table,  be- 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


151 


fore  the  tin  teapot  and  a  plate  of  fancy  biscuits. 

The  Captain  and  Harman  were  the  only 
two  men  on  board  with  a  knowledge  of  what 
was  coming. 

"Another  lump  of  sugar  in  mine,"  said  Har- 
man. "I  don't  hold  with  tea ;  I  never  did  hold 
with  tea.  The  only  thing  that  can  be  said  for 
it  is  it's  a  drink.  And  how  some  of  them 
blighters  ashore  lives  suckin'  it  day  and  night 
gets  me." 

He  was  drinking  out  of  his  saucer. 

"Oh,  tea's  all  right.  I  reckon  tea's  all 
right,"  said  the  Captain  in  an  absent-minded 
manner. 

"Maybe  it  is,  but  give  me  a  hot  whisky  and 
you  may  take  your  tea  to  them  that  like  it," 
replied  Harman. 

He  lit  his  pipe  and  went  on  deck.  The  Cap- 
tain followed.  They  could  not  keep  away 
from  the  fascination  up  above. 

The  bos'n  was  on  the  bridge,  and  they  re- 
lieved him. 

Not  a  sign  of  land  was  in  sight,  and  the  sea 
was  running  higher  than  ever. 


a 


MB-'  ■ 

1U, 


I 


411 


?i'': 


i; 


H 


r  * 
[n't  J 


152 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"You  8ce,"  said  the  Captain,  "wc  can't  make 
it.  It'll  be  sundown  in  an  hour.  We'll  strike 
the  coast  some  time  after  dark,  and  God  have 
mercy  on  our  souls." 

"You  ain't  tellin'  the  hands?"  said  Harman. 

"No  use  tellin'  them.  I  told  Mac,  so  that 
he  might  get  the  best  out  of  the  engines." 

"And  there's  no  bit  of  use  gettin'  out  life 
belts,"  said  Harman.  "I  know  this  coast; 
rocks  as  big  as  churches  an'  cliffs  that  nuthin' 
but  flies  could  crawl  up;  and  b'sides  which  if 
a  chap  found  himself  ashore  he'd  either  starve 
or  be  et  by  niggers.  They're  the  curiosest 
chaps,  those  blighters  down  here.  I  guess  the 
A'mighty  spoiled  them  in  the  bakin'  and 
shoved  them  down  here  by  the  Horn  to  hide 
them  from  sight.  Wonder  what  Wolff  and 
Shiner  is  doin'  by  this?" 

"God  knows  I"  said  the  Captain. 

The  darkness  fell  without  a  sight  of  the 
land,  and,  leaving  the  bos'n  on  the  bridge,  they 
came  down  for  a  while  to  the  enginert  om  for 
a  warm.  Mac  just  inquired  if  there  was  any 
sight  of  land,  and  said  nothing  more. 


THE  BUCCANEERS 


153 


The  engines  were  no  longer  being  pressed, 
and  they  smoked  and  watched  the  projection 
and  retraction  of  the  piston  rods,  the  revolu- 
tion of  the  cranks,  and  all  the  labours  of  this 
mighty  organism  so  soon  to  be  pounded  and 
ground  to  death  on  the  hard  rocks  ahead. 

It  was  toward  midnight  that  the  coast  spoke, 
so  that  all  men  could  hear  on  board  the  Pen- 
guin. 

Its  voice  came  through  the  yelling  black- 
ness of  the  night  like  the  roar  of  a  railway 
train  in  the  distance. 

The  crew  were  gathered  aft  and  in  the  al- 
leyways, for  all  forward  of  the  bridge  the 
decks  were  swept.  Harman  and  the  Captain 
were  on  the  bridge. 

Mac  had  the  word  to  give  her  every  ounce 
of  steam  he  could  get  out  of  the  boilers,  in 
the  desperate  idea  that  the  harder  she  was 
pressed  the  higher  she  might  be  driven  on  the 
rocks,  and  the  tighter  she  might  stick. 

The  roaring  of  the  breakers  seemed  now 
all  around  them,  and  the  Captain  and  Har- 
man were  clinging  to  the  bridge  rails,  bracing 


154 


SEA  PLUNDER 


themtelves  for  the  coming  ihock,  when— just 
as  a  curtain  is  drawn  aside  in  a  theatre — the 
rushing  clouds  drew  away  from  the  moon. 

The  white,  placid  full  moon  whose  light 
showed  the  foam-dashed  coast  to  either  side 
of  them,  and  right  ahead  clear  water. 

They  had  struck  the  Magellan  Straits  by 
some  miracle,  just  as  the  bullet  strikes  the 
bull's-eye  of  a  target,  and  right  to  port  they 
saw  a  great  white  ghost  rising  in  the  moon- 
light and  falling  again  to  the  sea. 

It  was  the  foam  breaking  on  the  West- 
minster Hall. 

It  was  breaking  three  hundred  feet  high, 
and  Harman,  as  he  was  hurled  atong  to  the 
safety  of  the  Straits,  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
great  rock  itself  after  a  wave  had  fallen  from 
it,  glistening  in  the  moonlight  desolately,  as 
slated  roofs  glisten  after  rain. 

That  was  a  sight  which  no  man,  having 
once  seen,  could  ever  forget. 


I  met  Blood  last  year.    He  was  exceedingly 
prosperous,  or  seemed  so.    He  told  me  this 


THE  BUCCANEERS  155 

itory,  and  I  have  so  mixed  namet  and  placet 
that  he  himself  would  scarcely  recognise  the 
chief  actor,  much  less  his  enemies.  As  to  the 
fate  of  the  Penguin,  I  could  only  get  him  to 
say  that  she  "went  down"  somewhere  south  of 
Rio,  but  that  all  hands  were  saved.  Harman, 
he  said,  had  turned  religious. 


PART  II 
THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND" 


I 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND" 


THE  CAPTAIN  GETS  A  SHIP 

After  the  Penguin  job,  Captain  Biood  and 
Billy  Hannan,  that  simple  sailonnan,  had 
come  back  to  Frisco,  the  very  port  of  all  others 
one  might  fai^cy  they  would  have  avoided, 
but  Billy  had  been  a  power  in  Frisco,  and, 
reckoning  on  his  power,  he  had  taken  the  Cap- 
tain back  with  him. 

"There's  no  call  to  be  afraid,"  said  Billy; 
"there  was  more  in  that  job  than  the  likes  of 
us.  Why,  they'd  pay  us  money  to  tuck  us 
away.  Whatser  use  f  reezin'  round  N'  York 
or  Boston?  There's  nothin'  to  be  done  on  the 
Eastern  side.    Frisco's  warm." 

"Damn  warm!"  put  in  the  Captain. 

"Maybe;  but  there's  ropes  there  I  can  pull 
an'  make  bells  ring.    Clancy  and  Rafferty  and 

159 


i6o 


SEA  PLUNDER 


all  that  crowd  are  with  me,  and  weVe  done 
nothin'.  Why,  we're  plaster  saints  to  the 
chaps  that  are  walkin'  round  in  Frisco  with 
cable  watch  chains  across  their  weskits." 

They  came  back,  and  Billy  Harman  proved 
to  be  right.  No  one  molested  them.  San 
Francisco  was  heaving  in  the  throes  of  an  elec- 
tion, and  people  had  no  time  to  bother  about 
such  small  fry  as  the  Captain  and  his  com- 
panion, while,  owing  to  the  good  offices  of  the 
Clancys  and  Raffertys,  Billy  managed  to  pick 
up  a  littl?  money  here  and  there  and  to  assist 
his  friend  in  doing  likewise. 

Then  things  began  to  get  slack,  and  to-day, 
as  bright  a  morning  as  ever  broke  on  the  Pa- 
cific coast,  the  Captain,  down  on  his  luck  and 
without  even  the  price  of  a  drink,  was  hanging 
about  a  wharf  near  the  China  docks  waiting 
for  his  companion. 

He  took  his  seat  on  a  mooring  bitt,  and, 
lighting  a  pipe,  began  to  review  the  sitijation. 
Gulls  were  flitting  across  the  blue  water, 
whipped  by  the  westerly  wind  blowing  in 
from  the  Golden  Gate,  a  Chinese  shrimp  boat 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    i6i 


with  huge  lugsail  bellying  to  the  breeze  was 
blundering  along  for  the  upper  bay,  crossing 
the  bows  of  a  Stockton  river  boat  and  threat- 
ening it  with  destruction;  pleasure  yachts, 
burly  tugs,  and  a  great  four-master  just  com- 
ing in  with  the  salt  of  Cape  Horn  on  her  sun- 
blistered  sides — all  these  made  a  picture 
bright  and  moving  as  the  morning. 

It  depressed  the  Captain. 

Business  and  pleasure  have  little  appeal  to  a 
man  who  has  no  business  and  no  money  for 
pleasure.  We  all  have  our  haunting  ter- 
rors, and  the  Captain,  who  feared  noth- 
ing in  an  ordinary  way,  had  his.  When 
in  extremely  low  water,  he  was  always 
haunted  by  the  dread  of  dying  with- 
out a  penny  in  his  pocket.  To  be  found 
dead  with  empty  pockets  was  the  last  indig- 
nity. His  Irish  pride  revolted  at  the  thought, 
and  he  was  turning  it  over  in  his  mind  now 
as  he  sat  watching  the  shipping. 

Then  he  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  figure  ad- 
vancing toward  him  along  the  quay  side. 

ItwasMr.  Harman. 


I 

i 
I 


1 62 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"So  there  you  are,"  said  he,  as  he  drew  up 
to  the  Captain.  "I  been  lookin'  for  you  all 
along  the  wharf." 

"Any  news?"  asked  the  Captain. 

Mr.  Harman  took  a  pipe  from  his  pocket, 
and  explored  the  empty  bowl  with  his  little 
finger;  then,  leaning  against  the  mooring  bitt, 
he  cut  some  tobacco  up.  filled  the  pipe,  and  lit 
it  Only  when  the  pipe  was  alight  did  he  seem 
to  hear  the  Captain's  question. 

"That  depends,"  said  he.  "I  don't  know 
how  you're  feelin',  but  my  f eelin'  is  to  get  out 
of  here,  and  get  out  quick." 

"There's  not  much  news  in  that,"  said 
Blood.  "I've  had  it  in  my  head  for  days. 
What's  the  use  of  talking?  There's  only  one 
way  out  of  Frisco  for  you  or  me,  and  that's  by 
way  of  a  fo'c's'le,  and  that's  a  way  I'm  not  go- 
ing to  take." 

"Mqybe,"  sai^  Harman,  "you'll  let  me  say 
my  say  before  putting  your  hoof  in  my  mouth. 
News — I  should  think  I  had  news.  Now,  by 
any  chance  did  you  ever  sight  the  Channel 
Islands  down  the  coast  there  lying  of!  Santa 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    163 

Barbara?  First  you  come  to  the  San  Lucas 
Islands,  then  you  come  to  Santa  Catalina,  a 
big  brute  of  an  island  she  is,  same  longitude  as 
Los  Angeles ;  then  away  out  from  Santa  Cata- 
lina you  have  San  Nicolas." 

"No,  I've  never  struck  them,"  replied 
Blood.   "What's  the  matter  with  them?" 

"The  Chinese  go  there  huntin'  for  abalone 
shells,"  went  on  Harman,  disregarding  the 
question.  "I'm  aimin'  at  a  teeny  yellow  bit  of 
an  island  away  to  the  north  of  the  San  Lucas, 
a  place  you  jcould  cover  with  your  hat,  a  place 
no  one  ever  goes  to." 

"Well?" 

"Well,  there's  twenty  thousand  dollars  in 
gold  coin  lyin'  there  ready  to  be  took  away. 
Only  this  morning  news  came  in  that  one  of 
the  Sec-Yup-Sce  liners—you  know  them  rot- 
ten old  tubs,  China  owned,  out  of  Canton,  in 
the  chow  an'  coffin  trade— well,  one  of  them 
things  is  gone  ashore  on  San  Juan,  that's  the 
name  of  the  island.  Swept  clean,  she  was,  and 
hove  on  the  rocks,  and  every  man  drowned 
but  two  Chinee  who  got  away  on  a  raf '.    I  had 


1 


m 


164 


SEA  PLUNDER 


ll 


the  news  from  Clancy.  The  wreck's  to  be 
sold,  and  Clancy  says  the  opinion  is  she's  not 
worth  two  dollars,  seein'  the  chances  are  the 
sea's  broke  her  up  by  this.  Well,  now  look 
here,  I  know  San  Juan,  intimate,  and  I  know  a 
vessel,  once  ashore  there,  won't  break  up  to  the 
sea  in  a  hurry  by  the  nature  of  the  coast 
There's  some  coasts  will  spew  a  wreck  off  in 
ten  minutes,  and  some'll  stick  to  their  goods 
till  there's  nuthin'  left  but  the  starnpost  and 
the  ribs.  It's  shelvin'  water  there  and  rocks 
that  hold  like  shark's  teeth.  The  Yan-Shan 
— that's  her  name — ^will  hold  till  the  last  trum- 
pet if  she's  hove  up  proper,  which,  by  all  ac- 
counts, she  is,  and  there's  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars aboard  her." 

"Well?"  said  Blood. 

"Well,  if  we  could  crawl  down  there— you 
an'  me — ^we'd  put  our  claws  on  that  twenty 
thousand." 

"How  in  the  nation  are  you  going  to  rig  out 
a  wrecking  expedition  on  two  cents,  and  sup- 
pose you  could  buy  the  wreck  for  two  dollan 
— Where's  your  two  dollars?" 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    165 


"I'm  not  goin'  to  buy  no  wrecks,"  replied 
Hannan,  "nor  fit  out  no  wreckin*  expeditions. 
What  I  want  is  something  small  and  easy  han- 
dled—no  steam,  get  her  out  and  blow  down  on 
the  northwest  trades,  raise  San  Juan  and  the 
Yan-Shan,  lift  the  dollars,  and  blow  off  with 
them.  Why,  it's  as  easy  as  walkin'  about  in 
your  slippers  1" 

The  Captain  sighed. 

"As  easy  as  getting  into  the  penitentiary," 
said  he.  "First  of  all,  you'd  have  to  steal  a 
boat,  and  Frisco  is  no  port  to  steal  boats  in; 
second,  there's  such  things  as  telegraphs  and 
cables.  You  ought  to  know  that  after  the  Pen- 
guin job.  Then  if  we  were  caught,  as  we 
would  be,  you'd  have  the  old  Penguin  rising 
like  a  hurricane  on  us.  She's  forgotten  now,  I 
know,  but  once  a  chap  gets  in  trouble  every- 
thing that's  forgotten  wakes  up  and  shouts." 

"Maybe,"  said  Harman,  "and  maybe  I'd  be 
such  a  fool  as  to  go  stealin'  boats.  I'm  not 
goin'  to  steal  no  boats.  But  I'm  goin'  to  do 
this  thing  somehow,  and  once  I  set  my  mind 
on  a  job  I  does  it.    You  mark  me.    I'm  fair 


if'l 


i66 


SEA  PLUNDER 


I 


■i.<l!- 


till**- 


drore  crazy  to  get  out  of  here  and  be  after 
somethin*  with  money  on  the  end  of  it,  and 
once  I'm  like  that  and  sets  my  think  tank 
boiling  there's  fish  to  fry.  You  leave  it  to  me. 
I  ain't  no  fool  to  be  gettin'  into  penitentiaries. 
Well,  let's  get  a  move  on ;  there's  nothin'  like 
movin'  about  to  keep  one's  ideas  jumpin'." 

They  walked  along  the  wharf,  stepping 
over  mooring  hawsers,  and  pausing  now  and 
then  to  inspect  the  shipping.  There  is  no  port 
in  the  world  to  equal  San  Francisco  in  variety 
and  charm.  Here,  above  all  other  places,  the 
truth  is  borne  in  on  one  that  trade,  that  much 
abused  and  seemingly  prosaic  word,  is  in 
reality  another  name  for  romance.  Here  at 
Frisco  all  the  winds  of  the  world  blow  in  ships 
whose  voyages  are  stories.  Freighters  with 
China  mud  still  clinging  to  their  anchor  flukes, 
junks  calling  up  the  lights  and  gongs  of  the 
Canton  River,  schooners  from  the  islands, 
whalers  from  the  sulphur-bottom  grounds, 
grain  ships  from  half  the  world  away,  the 
spirit  of  trade  hauls  them  all  in  through  the 
Golden  Gate,  and,  over  and  beyond  these,  the 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    167 

bay  itself  has  its  romance  in  the  ships  that 
never  leave  it — junks  and  shrimp  boats,  the 
boats  of  Greek  fishermen,  yachts,  and  all  sorts 
of  steam  craft  engaged  on  a  hundred  busi- 
nesses from  Suisun  Bay  to  the  Guadeloupe 
River. 

Wandering  along,  Blood  and  his  companion 
came  to  Rafferty's  Wharf.  Raflferty*s  Wharf 
is  a  bit  of  the  past,  a  mooring  place  for  old 
ships  condemned  and  waiting  the  breaking 
yards.  It  has  escaped  harbour  boards  and  fires 
and  earthquakes,  healthy  trade  never  comes 
there,  and  very  strange  deals  have  been  com- 
pleted in  its  dubious  precincts  over  ships 
passed  as  seaworthy  yet  held  together,  as  Har- 
man  was  explaining  now  to  Blood,  "by  the 
pitch  in  their  seams  mostly." 

As  they  came  along  a  man  who  was  cross- 
ing the  gangway  from  the  tank  saw  Harman 
and  hailed  him. 

"It's  Jack  Bone,"  said  Harman  to  Blood. 
"Walk  along  and  I'll  meet  you  in  a  minute." 

Blood  did  as  he  was  directed,  and  Harman 
halted  at  the  gangway. 


i68 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"YouVc   the   man   I   want,"   said    Bone. 
"Who's  your  friend?" 

"Oh,  just  a  chap,"  replied  Harman. 
"What's  up  now?" 

Bone  took  him  by  the  arm,  and  led  him 
along  in  an  opposite  direction  to  that  in  which 
Blood  was  going.  Bone  was  the  landlord  of 
the  Fore  and  Aft  Tavern,  half  tavern,  half 
sailors'  boarding  house,  situated  right  on  Raf- 
ferty's  Wharf  and  with  a  stairway  down  to 
the  water  from  the  back  premises.  His  face, 
to  use  Harman's  description  of  it,  was  one 
grog  blossom,  and  what  he  did  not  know  of 
wicked  wharfside  ways  could  scarcely  be 
called  knowledge. 

"Ginnell  is  layin'  about,  lookin'  for  two 
hands,"  said  Bone.  "He's  due  out  this  evenin', 
and  it's  five  dollars  apiece  for  you  if  you  can 
lay  your  claws  on  what  he  wants.  Whites, 
they  must  be  whites ;  you  know  Ginnell." 

Harman  did. 

Ginnell  owned  a  fifty- foot  schooner  engaged 
sometimes  in  the  shark-fishing  trade,  some- 
times in  other  businesses  of  a  more  shady  dc- 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    169 

icription.  He  had  a  Chinese  crew,  and, 
though  the  customhouse  laws  of  San  Francisco 
demanded  only  one  white  officer  on  a  Chinese- 
manned  boat,  Ginnell  always  made  a  point  of 
carrying  two  men  of  his  own  colour  with  him. 

Being  known  as  a  hard  man  all  along  the 
wharfside,  he  sometimes  found  a  difficulty  in 
supplying  himsell  with  hands. 

"Yes,  I  know  Ginnell,"  replied  Harman. 
"Him  and  his  old  shark  boat  by  repitation. 
I've  stood  near  the  chap  in  bars  now  and 
again,  but  I  don't  call  to  mind  speakin*  to  him. 
His  repitation  is  pretty  noisy." 

"Well,  I  can't  help  that,"  said  Bone.  "I 
didn't  make  the  chap  nor  his  repitation;  if  he 
had  a  better  one,  I  guess  ten  dollars  wouldn't 
be  lyin'  your  way." 

"Nor  twenty  dollars  yours,"  laughed  Har- 
man. 

"That's  my  business,"  said  Bone.  "The 
question  is,  do  you  take  on  the  job?  I'd  do  it 
all  myself  only  there's  such  a  want  of  sailor- 
men  on  the  front.  It's  those  dumed  Bands  of 
Hope  and  Sailors'  Rests  that  sucks  'cm  in,  fills 


I70 


SEA  PLUNDER 


i 


'em  with  bilge  in  the  way  of  tracks  and  ginger 
beer,  and  turns  'em  out  onfit  for  any  job  on- 
less  it's  got  a  silver-plated  handle  to  it  Mouth 
organs  an'  the  New  Jerusalem  is  all  they  cares 
for  onct  thtm  wharf  missionaries  gets  a  holt 
on  them.  I  tell  you,  Billy  Harman,  if  they 
don't  get  up  some  by-l^w  to  stop  these  chaps 
propagatin'  their  gospels  and  spoilin'  trade, 
the  likes  of  me  and  you  will  be  ruined — that's 
a  fac'.  Well,  what  do  you  say?" 

All  the  time  Mr.  Bone  was  holding  forth, 
Harman,  who  had  struck  an  idea,  was  dieep  in 
meditation.   The  question  roused  him. 

"If  Ginnell  wants  two  chaps,"  said  he,  "I 
believe  I  can  fit  him  with  them.  Anyhow, 
where's  he  to  be  found?" 

"He'll  be  at  my  place  at  three  o'clock,"  said 
Bone,  "and  I've  promised  to  find  the  goods 
for  him  by  that." 

"Well,  I'll  tell  you,"  said  Harman,  "I'll 
find  the  chaps  and  have  them  at  your  place 
haff  past  three  or  so ;  you  can  leave  it  safe  in 
my  hands." 

"You  speak  as  if  you  was  certain." 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    171 

"And  certain  I  am.  I've  got  the  chaps  you 
want" 

"Now  look  here,"  said  Bone,  "don't  you 
take  on  the  job  unless  you're  more  than  sure. 
Ginnell  isn't  no  boob  to  play  ^ii*  and  down 
with;  he'd  set  in,  mostlike,  tr  u  leck  the  bar  if 
bethought  I  was  playin'  err ;^s  >/,;},  riim. 

"Don't  fret,"  said  Harrrn.!.    '*r  1  It  thea 
and  now  fork  out  a  doilj)-   Mh'.nc.,  ■cr  I  '1 
have  some  treatin'  to  do 

Bone  produced  the  mcric}.  It  changed 
hands,  and  he  departed,  whil?  Jairr-an  pur- 
sued his  way  along  the  whart  toward  his 
friend. 

Blood  was  sitting  on  an  empty  crate. 

"Well,"  said  he,  as  the  other  drew  up,  "what 
business?" 

Harman  told  every  word  of  his  conversa- 
tion with  Bone,  and,  without  any  addition  to 
it,  waited  for  the  other  to  speak. 

"Well,  you've  got  the  dollar,"  said  Blood 
at  last,  "and  there's  some  satisfaction  in  that. 
I'm  not  the  chap  to  take  five  cents  oflF  a  chap 
by  false  pretenses  same's  you've  done  with 


^1 


h 


-If 


172 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Bone,  but  Bone's  not  a  man  by  all  accounts; 
he's  a  crimp  in  man's  clothes,  and  it  all  the  old 
whalemen  he's  filled  with  balloon  juice  and 
sent  to  perdition  could  rise  up  and  shout,  I 
reckon  his  name'd  be  known  in  two  hemi- 
spheres." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Harman.  "What 
was  that  you  were  saying  about  false  pre- 
tenses? I  haven't  used  no  false  pretenses. 
They  ain't  things  I'm  in  the  habit  of  usin'  be- 
tween man  and  man." 

"Well,  what  have  you  been  using?  You 
told  me  a  moment  ago  you'd  agreed  to  furnish 
two  hands  to  this  chap's  order  for  five  dollars 
apiece  and  a  dollar  advance." 

"So  I  have." 

"And  Where's  your  hands?" 

"I've  got  them." 

"In  your  pocket?" 

"Oh,  close  up  1"  said  Harman.  "I  never  did 
see  such  a  chap  as  you  for  v.ea.  n'  blinkers; 
can't  you  see  the  end  of  your  nose  in  front  of 
you?  Well,  if  you  can't,  I  can.  However,  I'll 
tell  you  the  whole  of  the  business  later  when 


THE  "H '  ART  OF  IRELAND"    173 

I've  turned  it  round  some  more  in  my  head. 
What  I'm  after  now  is  grub.  Here's  a  dollar, 
and  I'm  oflp  to  Billy  Sheehan's;  you  come 

along  with  me — a  dollar's  enough  for  two 

and  you  can  raise  your  objections  after  you've 
got  a  beefsteak  inside  of  you.  Maybe  you'll 
see  clearer  then." 

The  Captain  said  no  more,  but  followed 
Harman.  Far  better  educated  than  the  lat- 
ter, he  had  come  to  recognise  that  Harman, 
despite  his  real  and  childlike  simplicity  in 
various  ways,  had  a  mind  quicker  than  most 
men's.  He  would  often  have  gone  without  a 
meal  during  that  wandering  partnership 
which  had  lasted  for  nearly  a  year  but  for 
Harman's  ingenuity  and  power  of  resource. 

At  Sheehan's  they  had  good  beefsteak  and 
real  coffee. 

"Now,"  said  Harman,  when  they  had  fin- 
ished, "if  you're  ready  to  listen  to  reason,  I'll 
tell  you  the  lay  I'm  on.  Ginnell  wants  two 
hands.  I'm  goin'  to  offer  myself  for  one,  and 
you  are  goin'  to  be  the  other." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Blood.     "You 


174 


SEA  PLUNDER 


l!> 


mean  to  say  I*m  to  sign  on  in  that  chap's  shark 
boat    Is  that  your  meaning?" 

^'I  said  nuthin'  about  signin'  on  in  shark 
boats.  I  said  we  two  has  got  to  get  out  of  here 
in  Ginnell's  tub.  Once  outside  the  Gate  we're 
ail  right" 

"I  see,"  said  Blood.  "We're  to  scupper 
Ginnell  and  take  the  boat — and  how  about  the 
penitentiary?" 

"I'm  blest  if  you  haven't  got  penitentiaries 
on  the  brain,"  said  Harman.  "If  you  leave 
this  thing  to  me,  I'll  fix  it  so  that  there'll  be 
no  penitentiaries  in  the  business.  Of  course  if 
we  were  to  go  into  such  a  fool's  job  as  you're 
thinkin'  about,  we'd  lay  ourselves  under  the 
law  right  smart  No,  the  game  I'm  after  is 
deeper  than  that,  and  it's  Ginnell  I'm  goin'  to 
lay  under  the  law.  Now  I've  got  to  run  about 
and  do  things  an'  see  people.  I'll  leave  you 
here,  and  here's  a  quarter,  and  don't  you  spend 
if  till  the  time  comes.  Now  you  listen  to  me. 
Wait  about  till  haff  past  three,  and  at  haff  past 
three  punctual  you  turn  into  the  Fore  and  Aft 
and  walk  up  to  the  bar  and  lay  your  quarter 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    175 

down  and  call  for  a  drink.  You'll  sec  me 
there,  and  if  I  nod  to  you,  you  just  nod  to  me. 
Then  I'll  have  a  word  in  private  with  you." 

"Is  that  all?"  said  the  Captain. 

"That's  all  for  the  present,"  said  Harman, 
rising  up.    "You'll  be  there?" 

"Yes,  I'll  be  there,"  said  Blood,  "though  I'm 
blest  if  I  can  see  your  meaning." 

"You  will  soon,"  replied  the  other,  and, 
paying  the  score,  off  he  went. 

He  turned  from  the  wharves  up  an  alley, 
and  then  into  a  fairly  respectable  street  of 
small  houses.  Pausing  before  one  of  these,  he 
knocked  at  the  door,  which  was  opened  al- 
most immediately  by  a  big,  blue-eyed,  sun- 
burned, good-natured-looking  man  some  thirty 
years  of  age  and  attired  as  to  the  upper  part  of 
him  in  a  blue  woollen  jersey. 

This  was  Captain  Mike,  of  the  Fish  Patrol. 

"Billy    Harman  I"    said    Captain    Mike. 
"Come  in." 

"No  time,"  said  Harman.    "I've  just  called 

to  say  a  word.    I  wants  you  to  do  me  a  favour." 

"And  what's  the  favour?"  asked  the  Captain. 


\ 


176 


SEA  PLUNDER 


,1, 

i. 


"Oh,  nothin*  much.    D'you  know  Ginnell?" 

"Pat  Ginnell?" 

"That's  him." 

"Well,  I  should  think  I  did  know  the  swab. 
Why,  he's  in  with  all  the  Greeks,  and  there's 
not  a  dog's  trick  played  in  the  bay  he  hasn't 
his  thumb  in.  Him  and  his  old  shark  boat. 
Whatcher  want  mc  to  do  with  him?" 

"  Nothin',"  replied  Harman,  "and  maybe  a  lot. 
Iwantyou  just  to  drop  into  the  Fore  and  Aft  and 
sit  and  smoke  your  pipe  at  haff  past  three. 
Then  when  I  give  you  the  wink  you'll  pretend 
to  fall  asleep.    I  just  wants  you  as  a  witness." 

"What's  the  game?"  asked  Captain  Mike. 

Harman  told. 

Had  you  been  watching  the  two  men  from 
a  distance,  you  might  have  fancied  that  there 
was  a  great  joke  between  them  from  the  laugh- 
ter of  Captain  Mike  and  the  way  in  which 
Harman  was  slapping  his  thigh.  Then  the 
door  closed,  and  Harman  went  off,  steering 
north  through  a  maze  of  streets  till  he  reached 
his  lodgings. 

Here  he  packed  a  few  things  in  a  bundle  and 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    177 

had  an  interview  with  his  landlady,  a  motherly 
woman  whose  income  was  derived  from  a 
washtub  and  two  furnished  bedrooms. 

Among  the  other  belongings  which  he  took 
with  him  was  a  box  of  quinine  tabloids.  These 
he  placed  in  the  pocket  of  his  coat,  and,  with 
the  bundle  under  his  arm,  departed. 

It  was  five  minutes  past  three  when  he  en- 
tered the  dirty  doggery  misnamed  the  Fore 
and  Aft,  and  there  before  the  bar  behind 
which  Bone  was  serving  drinks  stood  Ginnell. 
Pat  Ginnell,  to  give  him  his  full  name,  was 
an  Irishman  of  the  sure-fwhat  type,  who 
might  have  been  a  bricklayer  but  for  his  de- 
cent clothes  and  sea  air  and  the  big  blue  anchor 
tattooed  on  the  back  of  his  left  hand.  There 
was  no  one  else  in  the  bar. 

"Here's  the  gentleman,"  said  Bone,  when 
he  sighted  Harman.  "Up  to  time  and  with 
the  goods  to  deliver,  I  dare  say.  Harman,  this 
IS  the  Captain;  where's  the  hands?" 

"Well,"  said  Harman,  leaning  his  elbows  on 
the  bar,  "I  believe  I've  got  them.  One  of 
them's  meself." 


m.  i 

m     r 


Is 


178 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"D'you  mean  to  say  you're  up  to  sign  on 
with  me?"  asked  Ginnell. 

"That's  my  meanin',"  said  Harman. 

Ginnell  looked  at  Bone.   Then  he  spoke. 

"It  won't  do,"  said  he.  "I  know  you  be 
name,  Mr.  Harman;  you're  in  with  Clancy 
and  that  crowd,  and  my  boat's  too  rough  for 
the  likes  of  you." 

"You  needn't  fear  about  that,"  said  Har- 
man. "I're  done  with  Clancy.  What  I've  got 
to  do  is  get  out  of  Frisco  and  get  out  quick. 
The  cops  are  after  me ;  there  you  have  it.  I've 
got  to  get  out  of  here  before  night — do  you 
take  me — and  I'm  so  pressed  to  get  out  sudden 
I'll  take  your  word  for  ten  dollars  a  month 
without  any  signin'." 

Ginnell's  brow  cleared. 

"What  are  you  havin'?"  said  he. 

"I'll  take  a  drink  of  whisky,"  replied  Har- 
man. 

The  bargain  was  concluded. 

"And  now,"  said  Ginnell,  "what  about  the 
other  chap?" 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    179 

Harman  wiped  his  mouth  with  the  back  of 
his  hand. 

"I've  made  an  arrangement  with  a  chap  to 
meet  me  here,"  said  he.    "He'll  be  in  in  a  min- 

utc." 

"What's  he  like?"  asked  Ginnell. 

"Like?  Why,  I'll  tell  you  what  he's  like; 
he  wouldn't  sign  on  in  your  tub  for  a  hundred 
dollars  a  month." 

"Faith  and  you're  a  nice  sort  of  chap,"  said 
Ginnell.  "Is  it  playin'  the  fool  with  me  you 
are?" 

By  way  of  reply  Harman  took  the  box  of 
quinine  tabloids  from  his  pocket,  opened  it, 
showed  the  contents,  and  winked. 
Bone  and  Ginnell  understood  at  once. 
"One  of  those  in  his  drink  will  lay  him  out 
for  an  hour,"  said  Harman,  "without  hurtin' , 
him.    Put  one  in  your  weskit  pocket,  Bone— 
and  how  about  your  boat?" 

"She's  down  below  at  the  stairs,"  replied 
I  the  landlord,  putting  the  tabloid  in  his  waist- 
I  coat  pocket.  "I'll  go  and  call  Jim  to  get  her 
I  ready-a  moment,  gentlemen."    He  vanished 


U!     < 


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SEA  PLUNDER 


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into  a  back  room,  and  they  heard  him  shout- 
ing orders  to  Jim;  then  he  returned,  and  as  he 
passed  behind  the  bar  who  should  enter  but 
Captain  Mike! 

The  Captain  walked  to  the  bar,  called  for  a 
drink,  and  without  as  much  as  a  glance  at  the 
others  took  it  to  a  seat  in  a  far  corner,  where 
he  lit  a  pipe.  Several  wharf  habitues  loafed 
in,  and  soon  the  place  became  hazy  with  to- 
bacco smoke  and  horrible  with  the  smell  of 
rank  cigars. 

"Well,"  said  Ginnell,  "where's  your  man? 
Fm  thinkin*  he's  given  you  the  slip,  and  be 
the  powers,  Mr.  Harman,  if  he  has,  it'll  be  the 
worst  for  you." 

The  brute  in  Ginnell  spoke  in  his  growl, 
and  Harman  was  turning  over  in  his  mind  the 
fate  of  any  unfortunate  who  had  Ginnell  for 
boss  when  the  swing  door  opened  and  Blood 
appeared. 

"That's  him,"  said  Harman.  "You  leave 
him  to  me." 

Blood  was  not  the  sort  of  man  to  frequent  a 
hole  like  the  Fore  and  Aft,  and  he  frankly 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    i8i 

spat  when  he  came  in.  He  was  in  a  temper, 
or  rather  the  beginning  of  a  temper,  and  Har- 
man  seemed  to  have  some  difficulty  in  sooth- 
ing him.  They  had  a  confabulation  together 
near  the  corner  where  Captain  Mike,  his  glass 
and  pipe  on  the  table  before  him,  was  sitting, 
evidently  asleep,  and  then  Blood,  seeming  to 
agree  with  some  matter  under  discussion,  al- 
lowed himself  to  be  led  to  the  bar. 

"This  is  me  friend.  Captain  Ginnell,"  said 
Harman.  "Captain,  this  is  me  friend,  Mi- 
chael Blood.    Looking  for  a  ship  he  is." 

"I  can't  offer  him  a  ship,"  said  Ginnell,  "but 
I  can  offer  Him  a  drink.    What  are  you  takin' 
sir?" 

Blood  called  for  a  whisky. 

The  quinine  tabloid  popped  into  the  bot- 
tom of  the  glass  by  Bone  dissolved  almost  im- 
mediately, nor  did  Blood  show  that  he  de- 
tected the  presence  in  his  drink.  He  loathed 
quinine,  and  this  forced  dose  added  to  the 
flood  of  his  steadily  rising  temper  without, 
however,  interfering  with  his  powers  of  self- 
control. 


't: 

I   «  IB 


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ill 


182 


SEA  PLUNDER 


He  was  a  good  actor,  and  the  way  he 
clutched  at  the  bar  ledge  shortly  after  he  had 
finished  his  drink  left  nothing  to  be  desired. 

"Let  him  lay  down,"  said  Harman. 

"I  can't  leave  the  bar,"  said  Bone,  "but  if 
the  gentleman  cares  to  lay  down  in  my  back 
room  he's  welcome." 

Blood,  allowing  himself  to  be  conducted  to 
this  resting  place,  Ginnell  followed  without 
drawing  the  attention  of  the  others  in  the  bar. 

Arrived  in  the  back  room.  Blood  collapsed 
on  an  old  couch  by  the  window,  and,  lying 
there  with  his  eyes  shut,  he  heard  the  rest. 

He  heard  the  whispered  consultation  be- 
tween Harman  and  the  other,  the  trapdoor  be- 
ing opened,  Jim,  the  boatman,  being  called. 
And  then  he  felt  a  hand  on  his  shoulder  and 
Ginnell's  voice  adjuring  him  to  rouse  up  a  bit 
and  come  along  for  a  sail. 

Helped  on  either  side  by  the  conspirators, 
he  allowed  himself  to  be  led  to  the  trapdoor. 

"We'll  never  get  him  down  them  steps,"  said 
Harman,  alluding  to  the  stairs  leading  down 
to  where  the  boat  was  swaying  on  the  green 


1.1,  a' 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    183 

witer  that  was  swishing  and  swashing  against 
the  rotten  piles  of  the  wharf. 

"This  is  the  way  it's  done,"  said  Ginnell, 
and,  twitching  Blood's  feet  from  under  him, 
he  sent  him  down  the  stairway  like  a  bag  of 
meal  to  where  Jim  was  waiting  to  receive  him. 

At  half  past  six  o'clock  that  day  the  Heart 
of  Ireland— that  was  the  name  of  Ginnell's 
boat— passed  the  tumble  of  the  bar  and  took 
the  swell  of  the  Pacific  like  a  duck. 

Ginnell,  giving  the  wheel  over  to  one  of  the 
Chinese  crew,  glanced  to  windward,  glanced 
back  at  the  coast,  where  Tamalpais  stood 
cloud-wrapped  and  gilded  by  the  evening  sun, 
and  then  turned  to  the  companionway  leading 
down  to  the  hole  of  a  cabin  where  they  had  de- 
posited their  shanghaied  man. 

"I'm  goin'  to  rouse  that  swab  up,"  he  said ; 
"he  ought  to  be  recovered  by  this." 

"Go  easy  with  him,"  said  Harman. 

"I'll  be  as  gentle  with  him  as  a  mother,"  re- 
plied the  skipper  of  the  Heart  of  Ireland,  with 
a  ferocious  grin. 


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1 84 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Harman  watched  the  unfortunate  man  de- 
scending. He  had  got  shoulder  deep  down 
the  ladder  when  he  suddenly  vanished  as  if 
snatched  below,  and  his  shout  of  astonishment 
and  the  crash  of  his  fall  came  up  simul- 
taneously to  the  listener  at  the  hatch. 

Then  came  the  sounds  of  the  fight.  Harman 
had  seen  Blood  figiiung  once,  and  he  had  no 
fear  at  all  for  him.  If  he  feared  for  any  one, 
it  was  Ginnell,  who  was  crying  now  for  mercy 
and  apparently  receiving  none.  Then  of  a 
sudden  came  silence,  and  Harman  slipped 
down  the  ladder. 

Blood,  during  his  incarceration,  had  ran- 
sacked the  cabin  and  secured  the  Captain's  re- 
volver. He  was  seated  now,  revolver  in  hand, 
on  Ginnell's  chest,  and  Ginnell  was  lying  on 
the  cabin  floor  without  a  kick  or  an  ounce  of 
fight  in  him. 

"You  haven't  killed  him?"  asked  Harman. 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  Blood.  "Speak  up. 
you  swab,  and  answer!   Are  you  dead  or  not?" 

"Faith,  I  don't  know,"  groaned  the  unfortu- 
nate.   "I'm  near  done.    What  are  you  up  to? 


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>ii:jsmj'  ifiH 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"     185 

What  game  is  this  you're  playin'  on  me?    Is 
it  murder  or  what?" 

"Let  me  talk  to  him,"  said  Harman.  "Pat 
Ginnell,  you've  doped  and  shanghaied  a  man 
— meanin'  my  friend,  Captain  Blood — and 
I've  got  all  the  evidence  and  witnesses.  Cap- 
tain Mike,  of  the  Fish  Patrol,  is  one;  he  came 
to  the  Fore  and  Aft  be  request  and  saw  the 
whole  game.  That  means  the  penitentiary  for 
you  if  we  split.  You'll  say  I  provided  the 
dope.  Who's  to  prove  it?  When  I  told  you 
the  cops  were  after  me  I  told  a  lie.  Who's  to 
prove  it?  I  wanted  you  and  your  old  tub,  and 
I've  got  'em.  Say  a  word  against  me  and  see 
what  Clancy  will  do  to  you.  You  shanghaied 
me  friend,  and  now  you're  shanghaied  your- 
self in  your  own  ship,  and  you'll  never  dare  to 
have  the  law  on  us  because,  d'you  see,  we've 
got  the  law  on  you.  The  Captain  there  has  got 
your  revolver,  the  coolies  on  deck  don't  care, 
they  never  even  turned  a  hair  when  they  heard 
you  shoutin'.  Now  my  question  is,  do  you  in- 
tend to  take  it  quiet,  or  would  you  sooner  be 
hove  overboard?" 


'Mt«S."*:BQ! 


'  Taigjryy^'giBgsgi.^i .  inLig-giwe v^'ssa 


??■■'!' 


1 86 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Faith  and  there's  no  use  in  kicking,"  re- 
plied the  owner  of  the  Heart  of  Ireland.  "I 
gives  in." 

"Then  up  on  your  feet!"  said  Blood,  rising 
and  putting  the  revolver  in  his  pocket.  "And 
up  on  deck  with  you !  You're  one  of  the  hands 
now,  and  if  you  ever  want  to  see  Frisco  again, 
you'll  take  my  orders  and  take  them  smart. 
You'll  berth  aft  with  us,  but  your  rating  is 
cabin  boy,  and  your  pay.    Up  with  you!" 

Ginnell  went  up  the  ladder,  and  the  others 
followed. 

Ginnell  showed  to  the  light  of  day  two  black 
eyes  and  the  marks  on  his  chin  of  the  frightful 
uppercut  that  had  closed  the  fight. 

He  looked  like  a  beaten  dog  as  Blood  called 
the  crew,  in  order  to  pick  watches  with  Har- 
man. 

"I  take  the  chap  that's  steering,"  said  Blood. 

"And  I  takes  Pat  Ginnell,"  said  Harman. 

They  finished  the  business,  and  dismissed 
the  hands,  who  seemed  to  see  nothing  strange 
in  the  recent  occurrence  among  the  whites, 
and  who  were  thronging  now  to  the  fo'c's'le 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"     187 

for  their  supper,  their  fares  all  wearing  the 
same  Chinese  expression,  the  expression  of 
men  who  know  everything,  of  men  who  know 
nothing. 

Then,  having  set  a  course  for  the  San  Lucas 
Islands,  and  while  Ginnell  was  washing  him- 
self below,  Blood,  with  his  companion,  leaned 
on  the  rail  and  looked  at  the  far-away  coast 
dying  out  in  the  dusk. 

"Seems  strange  it  was  only  this  mornin'  I 
projected  gettin'  out  like  this,"  said  Harman, 
"and  here  we  are  out,  with  twenty  thousand 
dollars  ahead  of  us,  if  the  Yan-Shan  hasn't 
broke  up,  which  she  hasn't.  'Pears  to  me  it 
was  worth  a  dose  of  quinine  to  do  the  job  so 
neat  with  no  bones  broke  and  no  fear  of  the 
law  at  the  end  of  it." 

"Maybe,"  said  the  Captain. 

He  whistled  softly  to  the  accompaniment  of 
the  slashing  of  the  bow  wash,  looking  over  to- 
ward the  almost  vanished  coast,  above  which, 
in  the  pansy  blue  of  the  evening  sky,  stars  were 
now  showing  like  points  of  silver. 


■Bg^i'i^.^r^^jg^'gBiasMMigat'ggigh^^  atimg  JMa!iwjjt'jj.<iy"JWJ*<mi^'i 


/.<A 


II 

THE  "YAN-SHAN" 


The  Heart  of  Ireland  was  spreading  her 
wings  to  the  northwest  trades,  making  a  good 
seven  knots  with  the  coast  of  California  a 
vague  line  on  the  horizon  lo  port  and  all  the 
blue  Pacific  before  her. 

Captain  Blood  was  aft  with  his  mate,  lean- 
ing on  the  rail  and  watching  the  foam  boost- 
ing away  from  the  stern  and  flowing  off  in 
Parian-Marbaline  lines  on  the  swirl  of  the 
wake.  Ginnell  was  forward  on  the  lookout, 
and  one  of  the  coolie  crew  was  at  the  wheel. 

"I'm  not  given  to  meeting  trouble  halfway," 
said  Blood,  shifting  his  position  and  leaning 
with  his  left  arm  on  the  rail,  "but  it  'pears  to 
me  Pat  Ginnell  is  taking  his  set-down  a  mighty 
sight  too  easy.  He's  got  something  up  his 
sleeve." 

i88 


'^M 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    189 

"SoVe  we,"  replied  Harman.  "What  can 
he  do?  He  laid  out  to  shanghai  you,  and,  by 
gum,  he  did  it.  I  don't  say  I  didn't  let  him 
down  crool,  playin'  into  his  hands  and  pre- 
tendin'  to  help  and  gettin'  Captain  Mike  as  a 
witness,  but  the  f  ac'  remains  he  got  you  aboard 
this  hooker  by  foul  play,  shanghaied  you  were, 
and  then  you  turns  the  tables  on  him,  knocks 
the  stuffin'  out  of  him,  and  turns  him  into  a 
deckhand.  How's  he  to  complain?  I'd  start 
back  to  Frisco  now  and  dare  him  to  come 
ashore  with  his  complaints.  We've  got  his 
ship — well,  that's  his  fault.  He's  no  legs  to 
stand  on,  that's  truth. 

"Leavin'  aside  this  little  bisness,  he's  known 
as  a  crook  from  Benicia  right  to  San  Jose.  The 
bay  reeks  with  him  and  his  doin's;  settin'  Chi- 
nese sturgeon  lines,  Captain  Mike  said  he  was, 
and  all  but  cocht,  smugglin'  and  playin'  up  to 
the  Greeks,  and  worse.  The  bay  side's  hun- 
gry to  catch  him  an'  stuff  him  in  the  peniten- 
tiary, and  he  hasn't  no  friends.  I'm  no  saint,  I 
owns  it,  but  I'm  a  plaster  Madonna  to  Gin- 


SlS^i^iS^^SyXSi^ 


^t^^iS 


■i  I    I  mil      I  II  ^11    III 


vm 


190 


SEA  PLUNDER 


nell,  and  I've  got  friends,  so  have  you.    Well, 
what  are  you  bothering  about?" 

"Oh,  I'm  not  bothering  about  the  law,"  said 
Blood;  "only  about  him.  I'm  going  to  keep 
my  eye  open  and  not  be  put  asleep  by  his  quiet 
ways — and  I'd  advise  you  to  do  the  same." 

"Trust  me,"  said  Harman,  "and  more  es- 
pecial when  we  come  to  'longsides  with  the 
Yan-Shan." 

Now  the  Yan-Shan  had  started  in  life  some- 
where early  in  the  nineties  as  a  twelve-hundred- 
ton  cargo  boat  in  the  Bullmer  line;  she  had 
been  christened  the  Robert  Bullmer,  and  her 
first  act  when  the  dogshores  had  been  knocked 
away  was  a  bull  charge  down  the  launching 
slip,  resulting  in  the  bursting  of  a  hawser,  the 
washing  over  of  a  boat,  and  the  drowning  of 
two  innocent  spectators;  her  next  was  an  at- 
tempt to  butt  the  Eddystone  over  in  a  fog,  and. 
being  unbreakable,  she  might  have  succeeded 
only  that  she  was  going  dead  slow.  She  drifted 
out  of  the  Bullmer  line  on  the  wash  of  a  law- 
suit owing  to  the  ramming  by  her  of  a  Cape 
boat  in  Las  Palmas  harbour;  engaged  herself 


aiSiSSi^SSSmSSil- 


-s^^sjsiSF^ieiBife-vawEDESKtsaffs^^sa 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"     191 

in  the  fruit  trade  in  the  service  of  the  Corona 
Capuella  Syndicate,  and  got  on  to  the  Swim- 
mer Rocks  with  a  cargo  of  Jamaica  oranges, 
a  broken  screw  shaft,  and  a  blown-off  cylinder 
cover.  The  ruined  cargo,  salvage,  and  tow 
ruined  the  syndicate,  and  the  Robert  Bullmer 
found  new  occupations  till  the  See-Yup-See 
Company,  of  Canton,  picked  her  up,  and,  re- 
christening,  used  her  for  conveying  coffins  and 
coolies  to  the  American  seaboard.  They  had 
sent  her  to  Valdivia  on  some  business,  and  on 
the  return  from  the  southern  port  to  Frisco  she 
had,  true  to  her  instincts  and  helped  by  a  gale, 
run  on  San  Juan,  a  scrap  of  an  island  north  of 
the  Channel  Islands  off  the  California  coast. 
Every  soul  had  been  lost  with  the  exception  of 
two  Chinese  coolies,  who,  drifting  on  a  raft, 
had  been  picked  up  and  brought  to  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

She  had  a  general  cargo  and  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars  in  gold  coin  on  board,  but  the 
coolies  had  declared  her  to  be  a  total  wreck; 
said  when  they  had  last  sighted  her  she  was 
going  to  pieces. 


:'%'C.-w-''^' '^•^f'- ^•■'  * •  ''Ti"" r'-U^ 


-isaeeawife-- 


■  IIIWII i(  I  "BSMi^ 


192 


SEA  PLUNDER 


That  was  the  yarn  Harman  heard  through 
Clancy,  with  the  intimation  that  the  wreck  was 
not  worth  two  dollars,  let  alone  the  expenses 
of  a  salvage  ship. 

The  story  had  eaten  into  Harman's  mind; 
he  knew  San  Juan  better  than  any  man  in 
Frisco,  and  he  considered  that  a  ship  once 
ashore  there  would  stick;  then  Ginnell  turned 
up,  and  the  luminous  idea  of  inducing  Ginnell 
to  shanghai  Blood  so  that  Blood  might,  with 
his — Harman's — assistance,  shanghai  Ginnell 
and  use  the  Heart  of  Ireland  for  the  picking 
of  the  Yan-Shan's  pocket  entered  his  mind. 

"It's  just  when  we  come  alongside  the  Yan- 
Shan  we  may  find  our  worse  bother,"  said 
Blood. 

"Which  way?"  asked  Harman. 

"Well,  they're  pretty  sure  to  send  some  sort 
of  a  wrecking  expedition  to  try  and  salve  some 
of  the  cargo,  let  alone  those  dollars." 

"See  here,"  said  Harman,  "I  had  the  news 
from  Clancy  that  morning,  and  it  had  only 
just  come  to  Frisco ;  it  wasn't  an  hour  old.  We 
put  the  cap  on  Ginnell,  and  were  out  of  the 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"     193 

Golden  Gate  before  sundown  same  day.  A 
wrecking  ship  would  take  all  of  two  days  to 
get  her  legs  under  her,  supposing  any  one 
bought  the  wreck,  so  we  have  two  days'  start. 
We've  been  makin'  seven  knots  and  maybe  a 
bit  over;  they  won't  make  more.  So  v/e  have 
two  days  to  our  good  when  we  get  there." 

"They  may  start  a  steamer  out  on  the  job," 
said  Blood. 

"Well,  now,  there's  where  my  knowledge 
comes  in,"  said  Harman.  "There's  only  two 
salvage  ships  at  present  in  Frisco,  and  rotten 
tubs  they  are.  One's  the  Maryland.  She's 
most  a  divin'  and  dredgin'  ship;  ain't  no  good 
for  this  sort  of  work;  sea-bottom  scrapin'  is 
all  she's  good  for,  and  little  she  makes  at  it. 
The  other's  the  Port  of  Amsterdam,  owned  by 
Gunderman.  She's  the  ship  they'd  use.  She's 
got  steam  winches  and  derricks  'nough  to  dis- 
charge the  Ark,  and  stowage  room  to  hold  the 
cargo  down  to  the  last  flea,  but  she's  no  good 
for  more  than  eight  knots ;  she  steams  like  as 
if  she's  a  drogue  behind  her,  because  why? 
She's  got  beam  engines — she's  that  old,  she's 


r>fX^E^BE^(HBrtff^  .^^  .inAtf^^L2mAt^ 


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194 


SEA  PLUNDER 


got  beam  engiaes  in  her.  I'm  not  denyin' 
there's  somethin'  to  be  said  for  them,  but  there 
you  are — there's  no  speed  in  them." 

"Well,  beam  engines  or  no  beam  engines, 
we'll  have  a  pretty  rough  time  if  she  comes 
down  and  catches  us  within  a  cable's  length  of 
the  Yan-Shan,"  said  Blood.  "However,  there's 
no  use  in  fetching  trouble.  Let's  go  and  have 
a  look  at  the  lazaret;  I  want  to  see  how  we 
stand  for  grub." 

Chopstick  Charlie  was  the  name  Blood  had 
christened  the  coolie  who  acted  as  steward  and 
cabin  hand.  He  called  him  now,  and  out  of 
the  opium-tinctured  gloom  of  the  fo'c's'le 
Charlie  appeared,  received  his  orders,  and  led 
them  to  the  lazaret. 

None  of  the  crew  had  shown  the  slightest 
emotion  on  seeing  Blood  take  over  command 
of  the  schooner  and  Ginnell  swabbing  decks. 
The  fight  that  had  made  Blood  master  of  the 
Heart  of  Ireland  and  Gmnell's  revolver  had 
occurred  in  the  cabin  and  out  of  sight  of  the 
coolies,  but  even  had  it  been  conducted  in  full 
view  of  them  it  is  doubtful  whether  they  would 


THE  "HKART  OF  IRELAND"     195 

have  shown  any  feeling  or  lifted  a  hand  in  the 
matter. 

As  long  as  their  little  privileges  were  re- 
garded, as  long  as  opium  bubbled  in  the  eve- 
ning pipe,  and  pork,  rice,  and  potatoes  were 
served  out  one  white  skipper  was  the  same  as 
another  to  them. 

The  overhaul  of  the  stores  took  half  an  hour, 
and  was  fairly  satisfactory.  When  they  came 
on  deck.  Blood,  telling  Charlie  to  take  Gin- 
nell's  place  as  look-out,  called  the  latter  down 
into  the  cabin. 

"We  want  to  have  a  word  with  you,"  said 
Blood,  as  Harman  took  his  seat  on  a  bunk  edge 
opposite  him.  "It's  time  you  knew  our  minds 
and  what  we  intend  doing  with  the  schooner 
and  yourself." 

"Faith,"  said  Ginnell,  "I  think  it  is." 

"I'm  glad  you  agree.  Well,  when  you 
shanghaied  me  on  board  this  old  shark  boat 
of  yours,  there's  little  doubt  as  to  what  you  in- 
tended doing  with  me.  Harman  will  tell  you, 
for  we've  talked  on  the  matter." 

"He'd  'a'  worked  you  crool  hard,  fed  you 


r - '^^^^Mtj^^^tp^.w-miwmtn'v  \mm\\\\Mm\\    ■  li  fee^sit^ 


.■■»>.-^4.«i«iaw.y---    ■w.Ag^.a-t-^iw.a.  rttaTii-' 


^#•1 


196 


SEA  PLUNDER 


crool  bad,  and  landed  you,  after  a  six  months' 
cruise,  doped  or  drunk,  with  two  cents  in  your 
pocket  and  an  affidavit  up  his  sleeve  that  you'd 
tried  to  fire  his  ship,"  said  Harman.  "I  know 
the  swab." 

Ginnell  said  nothing  for  a  moment  in  an- 
swer to  this  soft  impeachment;  he  was  cutting 
himself  a  chew  of  tobacco.  Then  at  last  he 
spoke. 

"I  don't  want  no  certifikit  of  character  from 
either  the  pair  of  you,"  said  he.  "You've  boned 
me  ship,  and  you've  blacked  me  eye,  and 
you've  near  stove  me  ribs  in  sittin'  on  me  chest 
and  wavin'  me  revolver  in  me  face.  What  I 
wants  to  know  is  your  game.  Where's  your 
profits  to  come  from  on  this  job?" 

"I'll  tell  you,"  replied  Blood.  "There's  a 
hooker  called  the  Yan-Shan  piled  on  the  rocks 
down  the  coast,  and  we're  going  to  leave  our 
cards  on  her — savvy?" 

"O  Lord!"  said  Ginnell. 

"What's  the  matter  now?"  asked  Harman. 

''What's  the  matter,  d'you  say?"  cried  Gin- 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"     197 

nell.   "Why,  it's  the  Yan-Shan  I  was  after  me- 

self." 

Blood  stared  at  the  owner  of  the  Heart  of 
Ireland  for  a  moment,  then  he  broke  into  a 
roar  of  laughter. 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  you  bought  the 
wreck?"  he  asked. 

"Not  me,"  replied  Ginnell.  "Sure,  where 
d'you  think  I'd  be  findin'  the  money  to  buy 
wrecks  with?  I  had  news  that  mornin'  she 
was  lyin'  there  derelick,  and  I  was  just  slippin' 
down  the  coast  to  have  a  look  at  her  when  you 
two  spoiled  me  lay  by  takin'  me  ship." 

It  was  now  that  Harman  began  to  laugh. 

"Well,  if  that  don't  beat  all !"  said  he.  "And 
maybe,  since  you  were  so  keen  on  havin'  a  look 
at  her,  you've  brought  wreckin'  tools  with  you 
in  case  they  might  come  in  handy?" 

"That's  as  may  be,"  replied  Ginnell.  "What 
you  have  got  to  worry  about  isn't  wreckin' 
tools,  but  how  to  get  rid  of  the  boodle  if  it's 
there.  Twenty  thousand  dollars,  that's  the  fig- 
ure. 


» 


"So  you  know  of  the  dollars,"  said  Blood. 


*"s..jiB«9.-' i?^a: iff 


198 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Sure,  what  do  you  take  me  for?"  asked  Gin- 
nell.  "D'you  think  I'd  have  bothered  about 
the  job  only  for  the  dollars?  What's  the  use 
of  general  cargo  to  the  like  of  me?  Now  what 
I'm  thinkin'  is  this,  you  want  a  fence  to  help 
you  to  get  rid  of  the  stuff.  Supposin'  you  find 
it,  how  are  you  to  cart  this  stuff  ashore  and 
bank  it?  You'll  be  had,  sure,  but  not  if  I'm 
at  your  back.  Now,  gents,  I'm  willin'  to  wipe 
out  all  differences  and  help  in  the  salvin'  on 
shares,  and  I'll  make  it  easy  for  you.  You'll 
each  take  seven  thousand,  and  I'll  take  the  bal- 
ance, and  I  won't  charge  nuthin'  for  the  loan 
you've  took  of  the  Heart  of  Ireland.  It's  a 
losin'  game  for  me,  but  it's  better  than  bein' 
done  out  entirely," 

Blood  looked  at  Harman,  and  Harman 
looked  at  Blood.  Then  telling  Ginnell  that 
they  would  consider  the  matter,  they  went  on 
deck  to  talk  it  over. 

There  was  truth  in  what  Ginnell  said.  They 
would  want  help  in  getting  the  coin  ashore  in 
safety,  and,  unless  they  marooned  or  murdered 
Ginnell,  he,  if  left  out,  would  always  be  a  wit- 


«*  t£  J£S^BEV9£S»\J]LrVSMl3'yZSk9/t!Bt3^^^ 


•zrww-Vfv&s.'r  -'^n^iTTV^aL^ijrsxt^tne'^wstag^^m;^^ 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    199 

ness  to  make  trouble.  Besides,  though  engaged 
on  a  somewhat  shady  business,  neither  Blood 
nor  Harman  was  a  scoundrel.  Ginnell  up  to 
this  had  been  paid  out  in  his  own  coin,  the  slate 
was  clean,  and  it  pleased  neither  of  them  to 
take  profit  from  this  blackguard  beyond  what 
they  considered  their  due. 

It  was  just  this  touch  of  finer  feeling  that 
excluded  them  from  the  category  of  rogues 
and  made  their  persons  worth  considering  and 
their  doings  worth  recounting. 

"We'll  give  him  what  he  asks,"  said  Blood, 
when  the  consultation  was  over,  "and,  mind 
you,  I  don't  like  giving  it  him  one  little  bit, 
not  on  account  of  the  money,  but  because  it 
seems  to  make  us  partners  with  that  swab.  I 
tell  you  this,  Billy  Harman,  I'd  give  half  as 
much  again  if  an  honest  man  was  dealing  with 
us  in  this  matter  instead  of  Pat  Ginnell." 

"And  what  honest  man  would  deal  with 
us?"  asked  the  ingenuous  Harman.  "Lord! 
One  might  think  the  job  we  was  on  was  tryin' 
to  sell  a  laundry.  It's  safe  enough,  for  who 
can  say  we  didn't  hit  the  wreck  cruisin'  round 


ZL'  T  usi"^  .TTSY/int^Mr ae.hb>s:t 


S.j,-4CC!-JJVX7 


>-ifc^*   .^—*<..-^ •"..-**?"■>; W*,ii. 


^i>  ««sj»-5t3t 


200 


SEA  PLUNDER 


promiscuous,  but  it  won't  hold  no  frills  in  the 
way  of  honesty  and  such.  Down  with  you, 
and  close  the  bargain  with  that  chap  and  tip 
hirri  the  wink  that,  though  we're  mugs  enough 
to  give  him  six  thousand  dollars  for  the  loan 
of  his  old  shark  boat,  we're  men  enough  to  put 
a  pistol  bullet  in  his  gizzard  if  he  tries  any 
games  with  us.  Down  you  go." 
Blood  went. 


II 

Next  morning,  an  hour  after  sunrise, 
through  the  blaze  of  light  striking  the  Pacific 
across  the  far-oflf  Californian  coast,  San  Juan 
showed  like  a  flake  of  spar  on  the  horizon  to 
southward. 

The  sea  there  was  all  'f  an  impossible  blue- 
ness,  the  Pacific  blue  d  ;epened  by  the  Kuro 
Shiwo  current,  that  mysterious  river  of  the  sea 
which  floods  up  the  coast  of  Japan,  crosses  the 
Pacific  toward  Alaska,  and  sweeps  down  the 
West  American  seaboard  to  fan  out  and  lose 
itself  away  down  somewhere  off  Chile. 

Harman  judged  the  island  to  be  twenty 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    201 

miles  away,  and  as  they  were  making  six  and 
a  half  knots,  he  reckoned  to  hit  it  in  three 
hours  if  the  wind  held. 

They  went  down  and  had  breakfast,  and 
after  the  meal  Ginnell,  going  to  the  locker 
where  he  had  stowed  the  wrecking  tools, 
fetched  them  out  and  laid  them  on  deck. 
There  were  two  crowbars  and  a  jimmy,  not  to 
mention  a  flogging  hammer,  a  rip  saw,  some 
monstrous  big  chisels,  and  a  shipwright's  mal- 
let. They  looked  like  a  collection  of  burglar's 
implements  from  the  land  of  Brobdignag. 

"There  you  are,"  said  Ginnell.  "You  never 
know  what  you  may  want  on  a  job  like  this, 
with  bulkheads  maybe  to  be  cut  through  and 
chests  broke  open.  Get  a  spare  sail,  Misther 
Harman,  and  rowl  the  lot  up  in  it  so's  they'll 
be  aisier  for  thransport." 

He  was  excited,  and  the  Irish  in  him  came 
out  when  he  was  like  that;  also,  as  the  most 
knowledgable  man  in  the  business,  he  was  tak- 
ing the  lead.  You  never  could  have  fancied, 
from  his  cheerful  manner  and  his  appearance 
of  boss,  that  Blood  was  the  real  master  of  the 


:  ■ViS!ffv-:^-.i^)amtBS!ai  mc:^i^ 


--V?-    r,,.\  m^-'J^'  Z^J.-in  \ 


■>bP«m«Jsi¥<a  Mmmzauuk^^'mKm*t 


202 


SEA  PLUNDER 


situation,  or  that  Blood,  only  a  few  days  ago, 
had  nearly  pounded  the  life  out  of  him,  cap- 
tured his  revolver,  and  taken  possession  of  the 
Heart  of  Ireland, 

The  schooner  carried  a  whaleboat,  and  this 
was  now  got  in  readiness  for  lowering,  with 
provisions  and  water  for  the  landing  party, 
and,  when  that  was  done,  the  island,  now  only 
four  miles  distant,  showed  up  fine,  a  sheer 
splinter  of  volcanic  rock  standing  up  from  the 
sea  and  creamed  about  with  foam. 

Not  a  sign  of  a  wreck  was  to  be  seen,  though 
Ginnell's  glasses  were  powerful  enough  to 
show  up  every  detail  from  the  rock  fissures  to 
the  roosting  gulls. 

Gloom  fell  upon  the  party,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Harman. 

"It'll  be  on  the  other  side  if  it's  there  at  all," 
said  he.  "She'd  have  been  coming  up  from 
the  s'uth'ard,  and  if  the  gale  was  behind  her, 
it  would  have  taken  her  right  on  to  the  rocks; 
she  couldn't  be  on  this  side,  anyhow,  because 
why?  There's  nuthin' to  hold  her.  It's  a  mile- 
deep  water  off  them  cliffs,  but  on  the  other  side 


fk^soBsssf^^^fiBSisn^^^mg^issmstsjm 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    203 

it  shoals  gradual  from  tide  marks  to  ten- 
fathom  water,  which  holds  for  a  quarter  of  a 
mile.  Keep  her  as  she  is;  you  could  scrape 
them  cliflfs  with  a  battleship  without  danger 
of  groundin'." 

After  a  minute  or  two,  he  took  the  wheel 
himself,  and  steered  her,  while  the  fellows 
stood  by  the  halyards,  ready  to  let  go  at  a  mo- 
ment's notice. 

It  was  an  impressive  place,  this  north  side 
of  the  island  of  San  Juan.  The  heavy  swell 
came  up,  smacking  right  on  to  the  sheer  cliff 
wall,  jetting  green  water  and  foam  yards  high 
to  the  snore  and  boom  of  caves  and  cut-outs  in 
the  rock.  Gulls  haunted  the  place.  The  black 
petrel,  the  Western  gull,  and  the  black-footed 
albatross  all  were  to  be  found  here.  Long  lines 
of  white  gulls  marked  the  cliff  edges,  and,  far 
above,  in  the  dazzling  azure  of  the  sky,  a 
Farallon  cormorant  circled  like  the  spirit  of 
the  place,  challenging  the  newcomers  with  its 
cry. 

Harman  shifted  his  helm,  and  the  Heart  of 
Ireland,  with  main  boom  swinging  to  port, 


ift!%*!§HW-^*''?^aBP- 


, 'jrlKiiW:-  .  I  i. -. ..vi--*^  .-*- -,Sii«'.^i?*-i3if tV?';<:A 


204 


SEA  PLUNDER 


came  gliding  past  the  western  rocks  and  open- 
ing the  sea  to  southward,  where,  far  on  the 
horizon,  lovely  in  the  morning  light  like  vast 
ships  under  press  of  sail,  the  San  Lucas  Islands 
lay  remote  in  the  morning  splendour. 

Away  to  port  the  line  of  the  Califomian 
coast  showed  beyond  the  heave  of  the  sea  from 
Point  Arguello  to  Point  Concepcion,  and  to 
starboard  and  west  of  the  San  Lucas  a  dot  in 
the  sun  dazzle  marked  the  peaks  of  the  island 
of  San  Nicolas. 

Then,  as  the  Heart  of  Ireland  came  round 
and  the  full  view  of  the  south  of  San  Juan 
burst  upon  them,  the  wreck  piled  on  the  rocks 
came  in  sight,  and  anchored  quarter  of  a  mile 
off  the  shore — a  Chinese  junk! 

Harman  swore. 

Ginnell,  seizing  his  glasses,  rushed  forward 
and  looked  through  them  at  the  wreck. 

"It's  swarmin'  with  chows,"  cried  he,  com- 
ing aft.  "They  seem  to  have  only  just  landed 
be  the  look  of  them.  Keep  her  as  she  goes,  and 
be  ready  with  the  anchor  there  f orrard ;  we'll 
scupper  them  yet.    Mr.  Harman,  be  plazcd  to 


'j^ssmnBty 


■  'fj9^i'S&-^s^:<s^'&^siim^s^^^im 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    205 

fetch  up  that  lin'th  of  lead  pipe  you'll  find  on 
the  cabin  flure  be  the  door.  Capt'in,  will  you 
see  with  Charlie  here  to  the  boat  while  I  get 
the  anchor  ready  for  droppin'?  Them  coolies 
is  all  thumbs." 

He  went  forward,  and  the  Heart  of  Ireland, 
with  the  wind  spilling  out  of  her  mainsail, 
came  along  over  the  heaving  blue  swell,  satin- 
smooth  here  in  the  shelter  of  the  island. 

Truly  the  Yun-Shan,  late  Robert  Bullmer, 
had  made  a  masterpiece  of  her  last  business. 
She  had  come  stem  on,  lifted  by  the  piling  sea, 
and  had  hit  the  rocks,  smashing  every  bow 
plate  from  the  keel  to  within  a  yard  or  two  of 
the  gunwale,  then  a  wave  had  taken  her  under 
the  stern  and  lifted  her  and  flung  her  broadside 
on,  just  as  she  now  lay,  pinned  to  her  position 
by  the  rock  horns  that  had  gored  her  side,  and 
showing  a  space  of  her  rust-red  bottom  to  the 
sun. 

The  water  was  squattering  among  the  rocks 
right  up  to  her,  the  phosphor-bronze  propeller 
showed  a  single  blade  cocked  crookedly  at  the 
end  of  the  broken  screw  shaft;  rudder  there 


iM^ms^^. 


J«iHCfS'«^B*»Xi^^2^^7:«=?3!B6S^HH»e^HBSB3SS^)iT:-'?^^^^ 


2o6 


SEA  PLUNDER 


was  none,  the  funnel  was  gone,  spar  deck  and 
bridge  were  in  wreck  and  ruin,  wliile  the  cowl 
of  a  bent  ventilator  turned  seaward  seemed 
contemplating  with  a  languid  air  the  beauty  of 
the  morning  and  the  view  of  the  far-distant 
San  Lucas  Islands. 

The  Heart  of  Ireland  picked  up  a  berth  in- 
side the  junk,  and  as  the  rasp  and  rattle  of  the 
anchor  chain  came  back  in  faint  echoes  from 
the  cliff,  a  gong  on  the  junk  woke  to  life  and 
began  to  snarl  and  roar  its  warning  to  the  fel- 
lows on  the  wreck. 

"Down  with  the  boat!"  cried  Ginnell. 
With  the  "lin'th  of  lead  pipe,"  a  most  formi- 
dable weapon,  sticking  from  his  pocket,  he 
ran  to  help  with  the  falls.  The  whaleboat 
smacked  the  water,  the  crew  tumbled  in,  and 
with  Ginnell  in  the  bow,  it  started  for  the 
shore. 

The  gong  had  done  its  work.  The  fellows 
who  had  been  crawling  like  ants  over  the  dead 
body  of  the  Yan-Shan  came  slithering  down 
on  ropes,  appeared  running  and  stumbling 
over  the  rocks  abaft  the  stern,  some  hauling 


II      M^  |i  I  Jl'iill'P lillHl^il  'hl'l    I'll      Ui'l    i^i|i|i|HPWi|iUllii  lliliBP        IflillPi 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    207 

along  sacks  of  loot,  others  brandishing  sticks 
or  bits  of  timber,  and  all  shouting  and  clam- 
ouring with  a  noise  like  gulls  whose  nests  are 
being  raided. 

There  was  a  small  scrap  of  shingly  beach 
off  which  the  Chinamen's  scow  was  lying  an- 
chored with  a  stone  and  with  a  China  boy 
for  anchor  watch.    The  whaleboat  passed  the 
scow,  dashed  nose  end  up  the  shelving  beach, 
and  the  next  moment  Ginnell  and  his  lin'th  of 
lead  pipe  was  among  the  Chinamen,  while 
Blood,  following  hir      /as  firing  his  revolver 
over  their  heads.    Ha.man,  with  a  crowbar 
carried  at  the  level,  was  aiming  straight  at 
the  belly  of  the  biggest  of  the  foe  .vhen  they 
parted  right  and  left,  dropping  everything, 
beaten  before  they  were  touched,  and  making 
for  the  water  over  the  rocks. 

Swimming  like  rats,  they  made  for  the 
scow,  scrambled  on  board  her,  howked  up  the 
anchor  stone,  and  shot  out  the  oars. 

"They're  oflF  for  the  junk,"  cried  Ginnell. 
"Faith,  that  was  a  clane  bit  of  work!  Look 
at  thim  rowin'  as  if  the  divil  was  after  thim." 


*-:->*-4Trs3..«K«^t7iKas???as 


U*f*v;«*StSi»***tf  r£i^i7f-*ftft:'< 


2o8 


SEA  PLUNDER 


They  were  literally,  and  now  on  board  the 
junk  they  were  hauling  the  boat  in,  shaking 
out  the  lateen  sail,  and  dragging  up  the  anchor 
as  though  a  hundred  pair  of  hands  were  at 
work  instead  of  twenty. 

Then  as  the  huge  sail  bellied  gently  to  the 
wind,  and  the  junk  broke  the  violet  breeze 
shadow  beyond  the  calm  of  the  sheltered 
water,  a  voice  came  over  the  sea,  a  voice  like 
the  clamour  of  a  hundred  gulls,  thin,  rendie, 
fierce  as  the  sound  of  tearing  calico. 

"Shout  away,  me  boysl"  said  Ginnell, 
"You've  got  the  shout  and  we've  got  the 
boodle,  and  good  day  to  ye  I" 


III 

He  turned  with  the  others  to  examine  the 
contents  of  the  sacks  dropped  by  the  van- 
quished ones  and  lying  among  the  rocks. 
They  were  old  gunny  bags,  and  they  were 
stuffed  with  all  sorts  of  rubbish  and  valuables 
— musical  instruments,  bita  of  old  metal,  cabin 
curtains,  and  even  cans  of  bully  beef;  there 
was  no  sign  of  dollars. 


w3s?fg^sBL^s^es^^EnM^a^.ii^ssaE^s?..s^s:it^s»^PT&s^=^iS!Li 


THE  ''HEART  OF  IRELAND"    209 

"The  fools  were  so  busy  picking  up  every- 
thing they  could  find  lying  about  they  hadn't 
time  to  search  for  the  real  stuff,"  said  Blood. 
"Didn't  know  of  it." 

"Well,"  said  Ginnell,  "stick  the  ould  truck 
back  in  the  bags  with  the  insthruments;  we'll 
sort  it  out  when  we  get  aboard,  and  fling  the 
rubbish  over  and  keep  what's  worth  keepin'." 

Helped  by  the  coolies,  they  refilled  the  bags, 
and  left  them  in  position  for  carrying  off,  and 
then,  led  by  Ginnell,  they  made  round  the 
stein  of  the  wreck  to  the  port  side. 

Now  on  the  sea  side  the  Yan-Shan  presented 
a  bad  enough  picture  of  desolation  and  de- 
struction, but  here  on  the  land  side  the  sight 
was  terrific. 

The  great  yellow  funnel  had  crashed  over 
onto  the  rocks,  and  lay  with  lengths  of  the 
guys  still  adhering  to  it:  a  quarter  boat,  with 
bottom  half  out,  had  gone  the  way  of  the  fun- 
nel; crabs  were  crawling  over  all  sorts  of  raf- 
fle—broken spars,  canvas  from  the  bridge 
screen,  and  woodwork  of  the  cha  .  house, 
while  all  forward  of  amidships,  the  plates, 


>y:\«ftassr-«'ftXfi«ff2gswffi? 


2IO 


SEA  PLUNDER 


beaten  and  twisted  and  ripped  apart,  showed 
cargo,  held,  or  in  the  act  of  escaping.  One 
big  packing  case,  free  of  the  ship,  had  re- 
solved itself  into  staves  round  its  once  con- 
tents, a  piano  that  appeared  perfectly  unin- 
jured. 

A  rope  ladder  hung  from  the  bulwarks 
amidships,  and  up  it  Ginnell  went  followed 
by  the  others,  reaching  a  roofless  passage  that 
had  once  been  the  port  alleyway. 

Here  on  the  slanting  deck  one  got  a  full  pic- 
ture of  the  ruin  that  had  come  on  the  ship. 
The  masts  were  gone  as  well  as  the  funnel, 
boats,  ventilf.tors — with  the  exception  of  the 
twisted  cowl  looking  seaward — bridge,  chart 
house,  all  had  vanished  wholly  or  in  part,  a 
picture  made  more  impressive  by  the  calm 
blue  sky  overhead  and  the  brilliancy  of  the 
sunlight. 

The  locking  bars  had  been  removed  from 
the  cover  of  the  fore  hatch,  and  the  hatch 
opened  evidently  by  the  Chinese  in  search  of 
plunder.  Ginnell  scarcely  turned  an  eye  on  it 
before  he  made  aft,  followed  by  the  other?, 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    211 

reached  the  saloon  companionway,  and  dived 
down  it. 

If  the  confusion  on  deck  was  bad,  it  was 
worse  below.  The  cabin  doors  on  either  side 
were  either  open  or  off  their  hinges,  bunk 
bedding,  mattresses,  an  open  and  rifled  valise, 
some  women's  clothes,  an  empty  cigar  box,  and 
a  cage  with  a  dead  canary  in  it  lay  on  the 
floor. 

The  place  looked  as  if  an  army  of  pillagers 
had  been  at  work  for  days,  and  the  sight  struck 
a  chill  to  the  hearts  of  the  beholders. 

"We're  dished,"  said  Ginnell.  "Quick, 
boys,  if  the  stuff's  anywhere,  it'll  be  in  the  old 
man's  cabin;  there's  no  mail  room  in  a  packet 
like  this.    If  it's  not  there,  we're  done." 

They  found  the  Captain's  cabin ;  they  f(  und 
his  papers  tossed  about,  his  cash  box  open  and 
empty,  and  a  strong  box  clamped  to  the  deck 
by  the  bunk  in  the  same  condition.  They 
found,  to  complete  the  business,  an  English 
sovereign  on  the  floor  in  a  corner. 

Ginnell  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  bunk. 

"They've  got  the  dollars,"  said  he.    "That's 


212 


SEA  PLUNDER 


why  they  legged  it  so  quick,  and — ^we  let  them 
go.  Twenty  thousand  dollars  in  gold  coin, 
and  we  let  them  go.  Tear  an  ages!  Afther 
them  I"  He  sprang  from  the  bunk,  and  dashed 
through  the  saloon,  followed  by  the  others 
On  deck,  they  strained  their  eyes  seaward, 
toward  a  brown  spot  on  the  blue  far,  far  away 
to  the  sou'west.  It  was  the  junk  making  a 
soldier's  wind  of  it,  every  inch  of  sail  spread. 
Judging  by  the  distance  she  had  covered,  she 
must  have  been  making  at  least  eight  knots. 
and  the  Heart  of  Ireland  under  similar  wind 
conditions  was  incapable  of  more  than  seven. 

"No  good  chasing  her,"  said  Blood. 

"Not  a  happorth,"  replied  Ginnell.  Then 
the  quarrel  began. 

"If  you  hadn't  held  us  pokin'  over  them  old 
sacks  on  the  rocks  there,  we'd  maybe  have  had 
a  chance  of  overhaulin'  her,"  said  Ginnell. 

"Sacks !"  cried  Blood.  "What  are  you  talk- 
ing about?  It  was  you  who  let  them  go,  shout- 
ing good  day  to  them  and  telling  them  we'd 
got  the  boodle!" 

"Boodle!"  cried  Ginnell.    "You're  a  nice 


fm^^' 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    213 

chap  to  talk  about  boodle.  You  did  me  up  an' 
collared  me  boat,  and  now  you're  let  down 
proper,  and  serve  you  right." 

Blood  was  about  to  reply  in  kind,  when  the 
dispute  was  cut  short  by  a  loud  yell  from  the 
engine-room  hatch. 

Harman,  having  satisfied  himself  with  a 
glance  that  all  was  up  with  the  junk,  had  gone 
poking  about,  and  entered  the  engine-room 
hatchway.  He  now  appeared,  shouting  like  a 
maniac. 

"The  dollars!  he  cried.  "Two  dead 
chinkies  an'  the  dollars!" 

He  vanished  again  with  a  shout.  They 
rushed  to  the  hatch,  and  there,  on  the  steel 
grating  leading  to  the  ladder,  curled  together 
like  two  cats  that  had  died  in  battle,  lay  the 
Chinamen.  Harmai.,  kneeling  beside  them, 
his  hands  at  work  on  the  neck  of  a  tied  sack 
that  clinked  as  he  shook  it  with  the  glorious, 
rich,  r'lellow  sound  that  gold  in  bulk  and  gold 
in  specie  alone  can  give. 

The   lanyard   came    away,    and    Harman, 


214 


SEA  PLUNDER 


plunging  his  big  hand  in,  produced  it  filled 
with  British  sovereigns. 

Not  one  of  them  moved  or  said  a  word  for  a 
moment;  then  Ginnell  suddenly  squatted 
down  on  the  grating  beside  Harman,  and,  tak- 
ing a  sovereign  between  finger  and  thumb 
gingerly,  as  though  he  feared  it  might  burn 
him,  examined  it  with  a  laugh.  Then  he  bit 
it,  spun  it  in  the  air,  caught  it  in  his  left  hand 
and  brought  i.xs  great  right  palm  down  on  it 
with  a  bang. 

"Hids  or  tails!"  cried  Ginnell.  "Hids  I 
win,  tails  you  lose!"  He  gave  a  coarse  laugh 
aj  he  opened  his  palm  where  the  coin  lay 
tail  up. 

"Hids  it  is,"  he  cried ;  then  he  tossed  it  back 
into  the  bag  and  rose  to  his  feet. 

"Come  on,  boys,"  said  he,  "let's  bring  the 
stuff  down  to  the  saloon  and  count  it." 

"Better  get  it  aboard,"  said  Blood. 

Harman  looked  up.  The  grin  on  his  face 
stamped  by  the  finding  of  the  gold  was  still 
there,  and  in  the  light  coming  through  the 
hatch  his  forehead  showed,  beaded  with  sweat. 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    215 

"I'm  with  Ginnell,"  said  he.  "Let's  get 
down  to  the  saloon  for  an  overhaul.  I  can't 
wait  whiles  we  row  off  to  the  schooner.  I 
wants  to  feel  the  stuff,  and  I  wants  to  divide  it 
right  off  and  now.  Boys,  we're  rich;  we  sure 
are.  It's  the  stroke  of  my  life,  and  I  can't 
wait  for  no  rowin'  on  board  no  schooners  be- 
fore we  divide  up." 

"Come  on,  then,"  said  Blood. 

The  sack  was  much  bigger  than  its  contents, 
so  there  was  plenty  of  grip  for  him  as  he  seized 
one  corner.  Then,  Harman  grasping  it  by  the 
neck,  they  lugged  it  out  and  along  the  deck 
and  down  the  saloon  companionway,  Ginnell 
following. 

The  Chinese  had  opened  nearly  all  the 
cabin  portholes  for  the  sake  of  light  to  assist 
them  in  their  plundering,  and  now,  as  Blood 
and  Harman  placed  the  sack  on  the  slanting 
saloon  table,  the  crying  of  gulls  came  clearly 
and  derisively  from  the  cliffs  outside,  mixed 
with  the  hush  of  the  sea  and  the  boost  of  the 
swell  as  it  broke,  creaming  and  squattering 
amid  the  rocks.    The  lackadaisical  ventilator 


2l6 


SEA  PLUNDER 


I 


cowl,  which  took  an  occasional  movement 
from  stray  puffs  of  air,  addjd  its  voice  now 
und  then,  whining  and  complaining  like  some 
lost  yet  inconsiderable  soul. 

No  other  sound  could  be  heard  as  the  three 
men  ranged  themselves,  Ginnell  on  the  star- 
board, and  Blood  and  Harman  on  the  port 
side  of  the  table. 

The  swivel  seats,  though  all  aslant,  were 
practicable,  and  Harman  was  in  the  act  of 
taking  his  place  in  the  seat  he  had  chosen 
when  Ginnell  interposed. 

"One  moment,  Mr.  Harman,"  said  the 
owner  of  the  Heart  of  Ireland,  "I've  a  word  to 
say  to  you  and  Mr.  Blood — sure,  I  beg  your 
pardon — I  mane  Capt'in  Blood." 

"Well,"  said  Blood,  grasping  a  chair  back, 
"what  have  you  to  say?" 

"Only  this,"  replied  Ginnell,  with  a  grin. 
"I've  got  back  me  revolver." 

Blood  clapped  his  hand  to  his  pocket.  It 
w?s  empty. 

"I  picked  your  pocket  of  it,"  said  Ginnell, 
producing   the  weapon,   "two   minits  back. 


=iWVjSZr=lW^»» 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    217 

You  fired  three  shots  over  the  heads  of  them 
chows,  and  there's  three  ca'tridges  left  in  her. 
I  can  hit  a  dollar  at  twinty  long  paces.  Move 
an  inch,  either  the  one  or  other  of  you,  and 
I'll  ky  your  brains  on  the  table  forenint  you." 

They  did  not  move,  for  they  knew  that  he 
was  in  earnest.  They  knew  that  if  they  moved 
he  would  begin  to  shoot,  and  if  he  began  to 
shoot,  he  would  finish  the  job,  leave  their 
corpses  on  the  floor,  and  sail  off  with  the  dol- 
lars and  his  Chinese  crew  in  perfect  safety. 
There  were  no  witnesses. 

"Now,"  said  Ginnell,  "what  the  pair  of  you 
has  to  do  is  this:  Misther  Harman,  you'll  go 
into  that  cabin  behind  you,  climb  on  the  upper 
bunk,  stick  your  head  through  the  porthole, 
and  shout  to  the  coolies  down  below  there  with 
the  boat  to  come  up.  It'll  take  two  men  to  get 
them  dollars  on  deck  and  down  to  the  wather 
side.  When  you've  done  that,  the  pair  of  you 
will  walk  into  the  ould  man's  cabin  an'  say 
your  prayers,  thanking  the  saints  you've  got 
off  so  easy,  whiles  I  puts  the  bolt  on  you  till 
the  dollars  are  away.   And  remimoer  this,  one 


2l8 


SEA  PLUNDER 


.''sal' 


word  or  kick  from  you  and  I  shoot;  the  China- 
men will  never  tell." 

"See  herel"  said  Harman. 

"One  wordl"  shouted  Ginnell,  suddenly 
dropping  the  mask  of  urbanity  and  leveling 
the  pistol. 

It  was  as  though  the  tiger  cat  in  his  grimy 
soul  had  suddenly  burst  bonds  and  mastered 
him.  His  finger  pressed  on  the  trigger,  and 
the  next  moment  Harman's  brains,  or  what  he 
had  of  them,  might  have  been  literally  "fore- 
nint"  him  on  the  table,  when  suddenly,  tre- 
mendous as  the  last  trumpet,  paralyzing  as  the 
inrush  of  a  body  of  armed  men,  booing  and 
bellowing  back  from  the  cliffs  in  a  hundred 
echoes  came  a  voice — the  blast  of  a  ship's 
siren: 

"Huroop!  Hirrip!  Hurop!  Haar— 
haar — haar!" 

Ginnell's  arm  fell.  Harman,  forgetting 
everything,  turned,  dashed  into  the  cabin  be- 
hind him,  climbed  on  the  upper  bunk,  and 
stuck  his  head  through  the  porthole. 

Then  he  dashed  back  into  the  saloon. 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    219 

"It's  the  Port  of  Amsterdam,"  cried  Har- 
man.  "It's  the  salvage  ship;  she's  there  drop- 
pin'  her  anchor.  We're  done,  we're  dished — 
and  we  foolin'  like  this  and  they  crawlin'  up 


»> 


on  us. 

"And  you  said  she'd  only  do  eight  knots!" 
cried  Blood. 

Ginnell  flung  the  revolver  on  the  floor. 
Every  trace  of  the  recent  occurrence  had  van- 
ished, and  the  three  men  thought  no  more  of 
one  another  than  a  man  thinks  of  petty  mat- 
ters in  the  face  of  dissolution.  Gunderman 
was  outside;  that  was  enough  for  them. 

"Boys,"  said  Ginnell,  "ain't  there  no  way 
out  with  them  dollars?  S'pose  we  howk  them 
ashore?" 

"Cliffs  two  hundred  foot  high!"  said  Har- 
man.    "Not  a  chanst.    We're  dished." 

Said  Blood :  "There's  only  one  thing  left. 
We'll  walk  the  dollars  down  to  the  boat  and 
row  off  with  them.  Of  course  we'll  be 
stopped,  still  there's  the  chance  that  Gunder- 
man may  be  drunk  or  something.  It's  one 
chance  in  a  hundred  billion ;  it's  the  only  one." 


'2* 


220 


SEA  PLUNDER 


But  Gunderman  was  not  drunk,  nor  were 
his  boat  party,  and  the  court-martial  he  held 
on  the  beach  in  broken  English  and  with  the 
sack  of  coin  beside  him  as  chief  witness  would 
form  a  bright  page  of  literature  had  one  time 
to  record  it. 

Ginnell,  as  owner  of  the  Heart  of  Ireland, 
received  the  whole  brunt  of  the  storm — there 
was  no  hearing  for  him  when,  true  to  himself, 
he  tried  to  cast  the  onus  of  the  business  on 
Blood  and  Harman.  He  was  told  to  get  out 
and  be  thankful  he  was  not  brought  back  to 
Frisco  in  irons,  and  he  obeyed  instructions, 
rowing  off  to  the  schooner,  he  and  Harman 
and  Blood,  a  melancholy  party  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Blood,  who  was  talking  to  Harman 
with  extreme  animation  on  the  subject  of  beam 
engines. 

On  deck,  it  wr.s  Blood  who  gave  orders  for 
hauling  up  the  anchor  and  setting  sail.  He 
had  recaptured  the  revolver. 


Ill 

A  CARGO  OF  CHAMPAGNE 


Billy  Meersam,  an  old  sailor  friend  in 
Frisco,  told  me  this  story  as  I  was  sitting  one 
day  on  Raflferty's  wharf,  contemplating  the 
green  water,  and  smoking.  Billy  chewed  and 
spat  between  paragraphs.  We  were  discuss- 
ing Captain  Pat  Ginnell  and  his  ways;  and 
Billy,  who  had  served  his  time  on  hard  ships, 
and,  as  a  young  man,  on  the  Three  Brothers, 
that  tragedy  of  the  sea  which  now  lies  a  coal 
hulk  in  Gibraltar  harbour,  had  quite  a  lot  to 
say  on  hazing  captains  in  general  and  Captain 
Pat  Ginnell  in  particular. 

"I  had  one  trip  with  him,"  said  Billy,  "shark 
catchin'  down  the  coast  in  that  old  dough  dish 
of  his,  the  Heart  of  Ireland.  Treated  me  crool 
bad,  he  did;  crnnl  bad  he  treated  me  from  first 
to  last;  his  beef  was  as  hard  as  his  fist,  and  bud 


221 


222 


SEA  PLUNDER 


barley  he  served  out  for  coffee.  He  was  known 
all  along  the  shore  side,  but  he  got  his  gruci 
at  last,  and  got  it  good.  Now,  by  any  chance 
did  you  ever  hear  of  <i  Captain  Mike  Blood 
and  '^is  mate,  Billy  Harman?  Knew  the  par- 
ties, oid  you?  Well,  now,  I'll  tell  you.  Blood 
it  were  put  the  hood  on  Ginnell.  Ginnell  laid 
out  to  get  the  better  of  Blood,  and  Blood, 
he  got  the  better  of  Ginnell.  He  and  Har- 
man signed  on  for  a  cruise  in  the  Heart  of  Ire 
land;  then  they  rose  on  Ginnell,  and  took  the 
ship  and  made  him  deck  hand.  They  did  that. 
They  made  a  line  for  a  wreck  they  knew  of  on 
a  rock  be  name  of  San  Juan,  off  the  San  Lucas 
Islands,  and  the  three  of  them  were  peeling 
that  wreck,  and  they  were  just  gettin'  twenty 
thousand  dollars  in  gold  coin  off  her,  when  the 
party  who'd  bought  the  wreck,  and  his  name 
was  Gunderman,  lit  down  on  them  and  col- 
lared the  boodle  and  kicked  them  back  into 
their  schooner,  givin'  them  the  choice  of  mak- 
in'  an  ofRng  or  takin'  a  free  voyage  back  to 
Frisco,  with  a  front  seat  in  the  penitentiary 
thrown  in. 


THE  ''HEART  OF  IRELAND"    223 

"It  was  a  crool  setback  for  them,  the  dollars 
hot  in  their  hands  one  minit  and  took  away 
the  next,  you  may  say,  but  they  didn't  quarrel 
over  it;  they  set  out  on  a  new  lay,  and  this  is 
what  happened  with  Cap'  Ginnell." 

But,  with  Mr.  Meersam's  leave,  I  will  take 
the  story  from  his  mouth  and  tell  it  in  my  own 
way,  with  additions  gathered  from  the  chief 
protagonists  and  from  other  sources. 

When  the  three  adventurers,  dismissed  with 
a  caution  by  Gunderman,  got  sail  on  the  Heart 
of  Ireland,  they  steered  a  sou'westerly  course, 
till  San  Juan  was  a  specK  to  northward  and 
the  San  Lucas  Islands  were  riding  high  on  the 
sea  on  the  port  quarter. 

Then  Blood  hove  the  schooner  to  for  a  coun- 
cil of  war,  and  Ginnell,  though  reduced  again 
to  deck  hand,  was  called  into  it. 

"Well,"  said  Blood,  "that's  over  and  done 
with,  and  there's  no  use  calling  names.  Ques- 
tion is  what  we're  to  do  now.  We've  missed 
twenty  thousand  dollars  through  fooling  and 
delaying,  and  we've  got  to  make  good  some- 
how, even  on  something  sn-,ill.    If  I  had  ten 


224 


SEA  PLUNDER 


cents  in  my  pocket,  Pat  Ginnell,  I'd  leave  you 
and  your  old  shark  boat  for  the  neares*  ;  jir.t 
of  land  and  hoof  it  back  to  Friscr ;  but  I 
haven't — worse  luck." 

"There's  no  use  in  carryin'  on  like  thai,' 
said  Harman.  "Frisco's  no  use  to  you  or  me. 
and  your  boots  would  be  pretty  well  wore  out 
before  you  got  there.  What  I  say  is  this; 
We've  got  a  schooner  that's  rigged  out  for 
shark  fishin'.  Well,  let's  go  on  that  lay;  we'll 
give  Ginnell  a  third  share,  and  he'll  share  with 
us  in  payin'  the  coolies.  Shark  oil's  tetchin' 
big  prices  now  in  Frisco.  It's  not  twenty  thou- 
sand dollars,  but  it's  somethin'." 

Ginnell,  leaning  against  the  after  rail  and 
cutting  himself  a  fill  of  tobacco,  laughed  in  a 
mirthless  way.  Then  he  spoke:  "Shark  fish- 
in',  begob;  well,  there's  a  word  to  be  said  be 
me  on  that.  You  two  thought  yourselves 
mighty  clever,  collarin'  me  boat  and  makin' 
yourselves  masthers  of  it.  1  don't  say  you 
didn't  thrump  me  ace,  I  don't  say  you  didn't 
work  it  so  that  I  can't  have  the  law  on  you, 
'"'it  I'll  say  this,  Misther  Harman,  if  j^ou  want 


THE  "HE:ART  of  IRELAND"    225 


I 


to  go  shark  fishin',  you  can  work  the  business 
yourself,  and  a  nice  hand  you'll  make  of  it. 
vVhy,  you  don't  know  the  grounds,  let  alone 
rhi  work.  A  third  share,  and  me  the  rightful 
owner  of  this  tub!  I'll  see  you  ham-strung 
before  I  put  a  hand  to  it.' 

"Then  get  forrard,"  s  *d  Harman.  "Don't 
know  the  grounds?  Maybe  I  don't  know  the 
grounds  you  used  to  work  farther  north,  but 
I  know  every  foot  of  the  grounds  here-a-way, 
right  from  the  big  kelp  beds  to  the  coast. 
Why,  I  been  on  the  fish-commission  ship  and 
worked  with  'em  all  through  this  part,  takin' 
soundin's  and  specimens — rock,  weed,  an'  fish. 
Know  the  bottom  here  as  well  as  I  know  the 
pa'm  of  me  hand." 

"Well,  if  you  know  it  so  well,  you've  no  need 
of  me.  Lay  her  on  the  grounds  yourself,"  said 
Ginnell. 

He  went  forward. 

"Black  sullen,"  said  Harman,  looking  after 
him.  "He  ain't  no  use  to  lead  or  drive.  Well, 
let's  get  her  before  the  wind  an'  crowd  down 
closer  to  Santa  Catallna.    Fm  not  sayin'  this 


226 


SEA  PLUNDER 


£•'-''".  V' 


is  a  good  shark  ground,  the  sea's  too  much  of 
a  blame'  fish  circus  just  here — but  it's  better 
than  nothin'." 

They  got  the  Heart  before  the  wind,  which 
had  died  down  to  a  three-knot  breeze.  Blood 
steering  and  Harman  forward,  on  the  lookout. 

Harman  was  right,  the  sea  round  these 
coasts  is  a  fish  circus,  to  give  it  no  better  name. 

The  San  Lucas  Islands  and  Santa  Catalina 
seem  the  rendezvous  of  most  of  the  big  fish 
inhabiting  the  Pacific.  Beginning  with  San 
Miguel,  the  islands  run  almost  parallel  to  the 
California  coast  in  a  sou'westerly  direction, 
and,  seen  now  from  the  schooners  deck,  they 
might  have  been  likened  to  vast  ships  under 
press  of  sail,  so  tall  were  they  above  the  sea 
shimmer  and  so  white  in  the  sunshine  their 
fog-filled  canons. 

Away  south,  miles  and  miles  away  across 
the  blue  water,  the  peaks  of  Santa  Catalina 
Island  showed  a  dream  of  vague  rose  and  gold. 

It  was  for  Santa  Catalina  that  Harman  was 
making  now. 
To  tell  the  whole  truth,  bravely  as  he  h 


;au 


'■■■:f<-.:p.y'^»(i:yyrr.'<'.i'3't 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    227 

talked  of  his  knowledge  of  these  waters,  he 
was  not  at  all  sure  in  his  mind  as  to  their 
siiark-bearing  capacity.  He  did  not  know  that 
for  a  boat  whose  business  was  shark-liver  oil, 
this  bit  of  sea  was  not  the  happiest  hunting 
ground. 

Nothing  is  more  mysterious  than  the  way 
fish  make  streets  in  the  sea  and  keep  to  them ; 
make  cities,  so  to  say,  and  inhabit  them  at  cer- 
tain seasons;  make  playgrounds,  and  play  in 
them. 

Off  the  north  of  Santa  Catalina  Island  you 
will  find  Yellow  Fin.  Cruise  down  on  the 
seaward  side  and  you  will  find  a  spot  where 
the  Yellow  Fin  vanish  and  the  Yellow  Tail 
take  their  place;  farther  south  you  strike  the 
street  of  the  White  Sea  Bass,  which  opens  on 
to  Halibut  Square,  which,  in  turn,  gives  upon 
a  vast  area,  where  the  Black  Sea  Bass,  the 
Swordfish,  the  Albacore,  and  the  Whitcfish 
are  at  home. 

Steer  round  the  south  of  the  island  and  you 
hit  the  suburbs  of  the  great  fish  city  of  the 
Santa  Catalina  Channel.   The  Grouper  Banks 


22' 


SEA  PLUNDER 


are  its  purlieus,  and  the  Sunfish  keeps  guard 
of  its  southern  gate.  You  pass  Barracuda 
Street  and  Bonito  Street,  till  the  roar  of  the 
Sea  Lions  from  their  rocks  tells  you  that  you 
are  approaching  the  Washington  Square  of 
undersea  things— the  great  Tuna  grounds. 

Skirting  the  Tuna  grounds,  and  right  down 
the  Santa  Catalina  Channel,  runs  a  Broadway 
which  is  also  a  Wall  Street,  where  much  busi- 
ness is  done  in  the  way  of  locomotion  and  de- 
struction. Here  are  the  Killer  Whales  and 
the  Sulphur-bottom  Whales  and  the  Grey 
Whales,  and  the  Porpoises,  Dolphins,  Skip- 
jacks, and  Sand  Dabs. 

Sharks  you  will  find  nearly  everywhere,  but, 
and  this  was  a  fact  unknown  to  Harman,  the 
sharks,  as  compared  to  the  other  big  fish,  are 
few  and  far  between. 

It  was  getting  toward  sundown,  when  the 
schooner,  under  a  freshening  wind,  came  along 
the  seaward  side  of  Santa  Catalina  Island. 
The  island  on  this  side  shows  two  large  bays. 
sepj» rated  by  a  rounded  promontory.    In  m 


r?^gr^^-iwr 


S^M 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    229 

f  northernmost  of  these  bays  they  dropped  an- 
1  chor  close  in  shore,  in  fifteen-fathom  water. 


II 

i 

At  dawn  next  morning  they  got  the  gear 
^  ready.  The  Chinese  crew,  during  the  night, 
>  had  caught  a  plentiful  supply  of  fish  for  bait, 
;  and,  as  the  sun  was  looking  over  the  coast 
•  hills,  they  hauled  up  the  anchor  and  put  out 
:  for  the  kelp  beds. 

There  are  two  great  kelp  beds  off  the  sea- 
r  ward  coast  of  Santa  Catalina,  an  inner  and  an 
outer.  Two  great  submarine  forests  more 
thickly  populated  than  any  forest  on  land. 
This  is  the  haunt  of  the  Black  Sea  Bass  that 
run  in  weight  up  to  four  hundred  pounds,  the 
ivibbon  Fish,  the  Frogfish,  and  the  Kelpfish, 
that  builds  its  nest  just  as  a  bird- builds,  crabs 
innumerable,  and  sea  creatures  that  have  never 
yet  been  classified  or  counted. 

They  tied  up  to  the  kelp,  and  the  fishing  be- 
gan, while  the  sun  blazed  stronger  upon  the 
water  and  the  morning  mists  died  out  of  the 
canons  of  the  island. 


230 


SEA  PLUNDER 


The  shark  hooks  baited  and  lowered  were 
relieved  of  their  bait,  but  not  bj^  sharks;  all 
sorts  of  bait  snatchers  inhabit  these  waters, 
and  they  were  now  simply  chewing  Jie  fish  off 
the  big  shark  hooks. 

Getting  on  for  eleven  o'clock,  Blood,  who 
had  been  keeping  a  restless  eye  seaward,  left 
his  line  and  went  forward  with  Ginnell's  glass, 
which  he  levelled  at  the  horizon. 

A  sail  on  the  sea  line  to  the  northwest  had 
attracted  his  attention  an  hour  ago,  and  the 
fact  that  it  had  scarcely  altered  its  position, 
although  there  was  a  six-knot  breeze  blowing, 
had  roused  his  curiosity. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Harman. 

"Schooner  hove  to,"  said  Blood.  "No, 
b'gosh,  she's  not;  she's  abandoned." 

At  the  word  "abandoned,"  Ginnell,  who  had 
been  fishing  for  want  of  something  better  to 
do,  raised  his  head  like  a  bird  of  prey. 

He  also  left  his  line,  and  came  forward. 
Blood  handed' him  the  glass. 

"Faith,  you're  right,"  said  Ginnell;  "she's a 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    231 

derelick.    Boys,  up  with  them  tomfool  shark 
lines;  here's  a  chanst  of  somethin'  decent." 

For  once  Blood  and  Harman  were  com- 
pletely with  him;  the  lines  were  hauled  in,  the 
kelp  connections  broken,  mainsail  and  jib  set, 
and  in  a  moment,  as  it  were,  the  Heart  of  Ire- 
land was  bounding  on  the  swell,  topsail  and 
foresail  shaking  out  now  and  bellying  against 
the  blue  till  she  heeled  almost  gunwale  under 
to  the  merry  wind,  boosting  the  green  water 
from  her  bow,  and  sending  the  foam  flooding 
in  sheets  to  starboard. 

It  was  as  though  the  thought  of  plunder  had 
put  new  heart  and  life  into  her,  as  it  certainly 
had  into  her  owner,  Pat  Ginnell. 

As  they  drew  nearer,  they  saw  the  condition 
of  the  chooner  more  clearly.  Derelict  and 
deserted,  yet  with  mainsail  set,  she  hung  there, 
clawing  at  the  wind  and  thrashing  about  in  the 
mad  manner  of  a  vessel  commanded  only  by 
her  tiller. 

Now  the  mainsail  would  fill  and  burst  out, 
the  boom  swaying  over  to  the  rattle  of  block 
and  rordage.     For  a  moment  she  would  give 


232 


SEA  PLUNDER 


'''Vv-.' 


an  exhibition  of  just  how  a  ship  ought  to  sail 
herself,  and  th.-n,  ^vith  a  shudder,  the  air 
would  spill  from  the  sail,  and,  like  a  daft 
woman  in  a  blowing  wind,  she  would  reel 
about  with  swinging  gaflf  and  boom  to  the 
tune  of  the  straining  rigging,  the  pitter-patter 
of  the  reef  points,  and  the  whine  of  the  rudder 
nearly  torn  from  its  pintles. 

A  couple  of  cable  lengths  away  the  Heart  of 
Ireland  hove  to,  the  whaleboat  was  lowered, 
and  Blood,  Ginnell,  and  Harman,  leaving 
Chopstick  Charlie  in  charge  of  the  Heart, 
started  for  the  derelict.  They  came  round  the 
stern  of  the  stranger,  and  read  her  name,  Ta- 
malpais,  done  in  letters  that  had  been  white, 
but  were  now  a  dingy  yellow. 

Then  they  came  along  the  port  s'  !e  and 
hooked  on  to  the  fore  channels,  while  Blood 
and  the  others  scrambled  on  deck. 

The  deck  was  clean  as  a  ballroom  floor  and 
sparkling  with  salt  from  the  dried  spray: 
there  was  no  raffle  or  disorder  of  any  sort. 
Every  boat  was  gone,  and  the  falls,  swinging  at 
full  length  from  the  davits,  proclaimed  the 


'  '  -A 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    233 

I  fact  that  the  crew  had  left  the  vessel  in  an  or- 
I  derly  manner,  though  hurriedly  enough,  no 

Jit 

p  doubt;  had  abandoned  her,  leaving  the  falls 
f:  swinging  and  the  rudder  playing  loose  and  the 
winds  to  do  what  they  willed  with  her. 

There  was  no  sign  of  fire,  no  disorder  that 
spoke  of  mutiny,  though  in  cargo  and  with  a 
low  freeboard,  she  rode  free  of  water,  one 
could  tell  that  by  the  movement  of  her  under- 
foot. Fire,  leak,  mutiny,  those  are  the  three 
reasons  for  the  abandonment  of  a  ship  at  sea, 
and  there  was  no  sign  of  any  one  of  them. 

Blood  led  the  way  aft,  the  saloon  hatch  was 
open,  and  they  came  down  into  the  tiny  saloon. 
The  sunlight  through  the  starboard  portholes 
was  spilling  about  in  water  shimmers  on  the 
pitch-pine  panelling;  everything  was  in  order, 
and  a  meal  was  set  out  on  the  table,  which 
showed  a  Maconochie  jam  tin,  some  boiled 
pork,  and  a  basket  of  bread;  plates  were  laid 
for  two,  and  the  plates  had  been  used. 

"Beats  all,"  said  Harman,  looking  round. 
''Boys,  this  is  a  find  as  good  as  the  dollars. 
Derelict  and  not  a  cat  on  board,  and  she's  all 


234 


SEA  PLUNDER 


of  ninety  tons.    Then  there's  the  cargo.    B' 
Jiminy,  but  we're  in  luck!" 

"Let's  roust  out  the  cabins,"  said  Ginnell. 

They  found  the  Captain's  cabin,  easily 
marked  by  its  size  aiid  its  furniture. 

Some  oilskins  and  old  clothes  were  hanging 
up  by  the  bunk,  a  sea  chest  stood  open.  It  had 
evidently  been  rifled  of  its  most  precious  con- 
tents; there  was  nothing  much  left  in  it  but 
some  clothes,  a  pair  of  sea  boots,  and  some 
worthless  odds  and  ends.  In  a  locker  they 
found  the  ship's  papers.  Blood  plunged  into 
these,  and  announced  his  discoveries  to  the 
others,  crowding  behind  him  and  peeping  over 
his  shoulders. 

"Captain  Keene,  master — bound  from 
Frisco  to  Sydney  with  cargo  of  cham- 
pagne     And  what  in  thunder  is  she  doing 

down  here?  Never  mind — we're  the  finders." 
He  tossed  the  papers  back  in  the  locker  and 
turned  to  the  others.  "No  sign  of  the  log. 
Most  likely  he's  taken  it  off  with  him.  What 
I  want  to  see  now  is  the  cargo.    If  it's  cham- 


U^^S^SSX^^^'^'  :t11@f  ITP*- 


iHMHBl 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    235 

pagne,   and   not  bottled  bilge  water,   we're 
made.    Come  along,  boys." 

He  led  the  way  on  deck,  and  between  them 
they  got  the  tarpaulin  cover  oflf  the  cargo 
hatch,  undid  the  locking  bars,  and  opened  the 
hatch. 

The  cargo  was  perfectly  stowed,  the  cases 
of  California  champagne  ranged  side  by  side, 
within  touching  distance  of  the  hatch  opening, 
and  the  brands  on  the  boxes  answering  to  the 
wording  of  the  manifest. 

Before  doing  anything  more.  Blood  got  the 
sail  off  the  schooner,  and  then,  having  cast  an 
eye  round  the  horizon,  more  for  weather  than 
shipping,  he  came  to  the  hatch  edge  and  took 
his  seat,  with  his  feet  dangling  and  his  toes 
touching  the  cases.  The  others  stood  while  he 
talked  to  them. 

'There's  some  chaps,"  said  Blood,  "who'd 
be  for  running  crooked  on  this  game,  taking 
the  schooner  off  to  some  easy  port  and  selling 
her  and  the  cargo,  but  I'm  not  going  to  go  in 
for  any  such  mug's  business  as  that.  Frisco 
and  salvage  money  is  my  idea." 


'I 


'    ^T^T 


236 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"And  what  about  the  Yan-Shan?"  asked 
Ginnell.  "Frisco  will  be  reekin'  with  the  story 
of  how  Gunderman  found  us  pickin'  her  boncs 
and  how  he  caught  us  with  the  dollars  in  our 
hands.  Don't  you  think  the  underwriters  will 
put  that  up  against  us ?  Maybe  they  won't  sav 
we've  murdered  the  crew  of  this  hooker  for 
the  sake  of  the  salvage!  Our  characters  are 
none  too  bright  to  be  goin'  about  with  schoon- 
ers and  cargoes  of  fizz,  askin'  for  salvage 
money." 

"Your  character  ain't,"  said  Harman, 
"Speak  for  yourself  when  you're  talkin'  of 
characters,  and  leave  us  out.  I'm  with  Blood 
I've  had  enough  of  this  shady  business,  and  I 
ain't  goin'  to  run  crooked  no  more.  Frisco 
and  salvage  moneys— my  game,  b'sidcs,  you 
needn't  come  into  Frisco  harbour.  Lend  us  a 
couple  of  your  hands  to  take  her  in,  and  we'll 
do  the  business  and  share  equal  with  you  in 
the  takin's.  I  ain't  a  man  to  go  back  on  a  pal 
for  a  few  dirty  dollars,  and  my  word's  as  good 
as  my  bond  all  along  the  water  side  with  pals. 
I  ain't  sayin'  nothin'  about  owners  or  compan- 


.'/♦IT  kra,'  :T^'<-?;..T?;y  ..ifiF*"  -] 


^HE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    237 

ies;  I  say  with  pals,  and  you'll  find  your  share 
banked  for  you  in  the  Bank  of  California,  safe 
as  if  you'd  put  it  there  yourself." 
Ginnell  for  a  moment  seemed  about  to  dis- 

I  sent  violently  from  this  proposition;  then,  of 
a  sudden,  he  fell  calm. 
"Well,"  said  he,  "maybe  I'm  wrong  and 

I  maybe  you're  right,  but  I  ain't  goin'  to  hang 
behind.  If  you've  fixed  on  taking  her  into 
Frisco,  I'll  follow  you  in  and  help  in  the 
swearin'.  You  two  chaps  can  navigate  her 
with  a  couple  of  the  coolies  I'll  lend  you,  and, 
mind  you,  it's  equal  shares  I'm  askin'." 

"Right,"  said  Harman.  "What  do  you  say, 
Blood?" 

"I'm  agreeable,"  said  Blood;  "though  it's 
more  than  he  deserves,  considering  all  things." 

"Well,  I'm  not  goin'  to  put  up  no  argu- 
ments," said  Ginnell.  "I  states  me  terms,  and, 
now  that's  fixed,  I  proposes  we  takes  stock  of 
I  the  cargo.  Rig  a  tackle  and  get  one  of  them 
cases  on  deck  and  let's  see  if  the  manifest  holds 
whcnthewrappin'sisofT." 

The  others  agreed.     With  the  help  of  a 


238 


SEA  PLUNDER 


couple  of  the  Chinamen  from  the  boat  along- 
side, they  rigged  a  tackle  and  got  out  a  case. 
Harman,  poking  about,  produced  a  chisel  and 
mallet  from  the  hole  where  the  schooner's 
carpenter  had  kept  his  tools,  a  strip  of  board- 
ing was  removed  from  the  top  of  the  case, 
and  next  moment  a  champagne  bot^'e,  in  its 
straw  jacket,  was  in  the  hands  of  Ginnell. 

"Packed  careful,"  said  he. 

He  removed  the  jacket  and  the  pink  tissue 
paper  from  the  bottle,  whose  gold  capsule  glit- 
tered delightfully  in  the  sunlight. 

Then  he  knocked  the  bottle's  head  off,  and 
the  amber  wine  creamed  out  over  his  hands 
and  onto  the  deck. 

Harman  lan  to  the  galley  and  fetched  a  pan- 
nikin, and  they  sampled  the  stuff,  and  then 
Blood,  taking  the  half-empty  bottle,  threw  it 
overboard. 

"We  don't  want  any  drinking,"  said  he; 
"and  we'll  have  to  account  for  every  bottle. 
Now,  then,  get  the  lid  fixed  again  and  the  case 
back  in  the  hold,  and  let's  s."e  what's  in  the 
lazaret  in  the  way  of  provisions." 


C^ife.ihis^-ga^^iPmssE^js^^se^'^^ac^s^'i^aiiaos.^^^ 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND" 


239 


They  got  the  case  back,  closed  the  hatch, 
and  then  started  on  an  inspection  of  the  stores, 
finding  plenty  of  stuff  in  the  way  of  pork  and 
rice  and  flour,  but  no  delicacies.  There  was 
not  an  ounce  of  tea  or  coffee,  no  sugar,  no 
tobacco. 

"They  must  have  took  it  all  with  them  when 
they  made  off,"  said  Harman. 

"That's  easy  mended,"  replied  Ginnell. 
"We  can  get  some  stores  from  the  Heart; 
s'pose  I  go  off  to  her  and  fetch  what's  wanted 
and  leave  you  two  chaps  here?" 

"Not  on  your  life,"  said  Blood ;  "we  all  stick 
together,  Pat  Ginnell,  and  so  there'll  be  no 
monkey  tricks  played.  That's  straight  Get 
your  fellers  into  the  boat  and  let's  shove  off, 
then  Harman  and  I  can  come  back  with  the 
stores  and  the  hands  you  can  lend  us  to  work 
her." 

"Faith,  you're  all  suspicious,"  said  Ginnell, 
with  a  grin.  "Well,  over  with  you,  and  we'll 
all  go  back  together.  I'm  gettin'  to  feel  as  if 
I  was  married  to  you  two  chaps.  Howt\  ^r, 
there's  no  use  in  grumbiin'.' 


.?  jj 


"^n^-^m^^^^nm^y. 


,^;if!U&^. 


240 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Not  a  bit,"  said  Blood. 

He  followed  Ginnell  into  the  whaleboat, 
and,  leaving  the  Tamalpais  to  rock  alone  on 
the  swell,  they  made  back  for  the  Heart  oj 
Ireland. 

Now,  Ginnell,  although  he  had  agreed  to 
go  back  to  Frisco,  had  no  inclination  to  do  so, 
the  fact  of  the  matter  being  that  the  place  had 
become  too  hot  for  him. 

He  had  played  with  smuggling,  and  had 
been  friendly  with  the  Greeks  of  the  Upper 
Bay  and  the  Chinese  of  Petaluma.  He  had 
fished  with  Chinese  sturgeon  lines,  foul  inven- 
tions of  Satan,  as  all  Chinese  sporting,  hunting, 
and  fishing  contraptions  are,  and  had  fallen 
foul  of  the  patrol  men ;  he  had  lit  his  path  with 
blazing  drunks  as  with  bonfires,  mishandled 
his  fellow  creatures,  robbed  them,  cheated 
them,  and  lied  t(^  them.  He  had  talked  big 
in  bars,  and  the  wharf  side  of  San  Francisco 
was  sick  of  him;  so,  if  you  understand  tiie 
strength  of  the  wharf-side  stomach,  you  can 
form  some  estimate  of  the  character  of  Cap- 
tain Ginnell.    He  knew  quite  well  the  feeling 


'\r^f,.^^^- 


'tX>»'% 


•,.:--i"\. 


-li":!  M-.irfk 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    241 

of  the  harbour  side  against  him,  and  he  knew 
quite  well  how  that  feeling  would  be  inflated 
at  the  sight  of  him  coming  back  triumphant, 
with  a  salved  schooner  in  tow.  Then  there 
was  Gunderman.  He  feared  Gunderman 
more  than  he  feared  the  devil,  and  he  feared 
the  story  that  Gunderman  would  have  to  tell 
even  more  than  he  feared  Gunderman. 

No,  he  had  done  with  Frisco;  he  never 
would  go  back  there  again;  he  had  done  with 
the  heart  of  Ireland.  He  would  strike  out 
again  in  life  with  a  new  name  and  a  new 
schooner  and  a  cargo  of  champagne,  sell 
schooner  and  cargo,  and  make  another  start 
with  still  another  name. 

Revolving  this  decision  in  his  mind,  he 
winked  at  the  backs  of  Blood  and  Harman  as 
they  went  up  the  little  companion  ladder  be- 
fore him  and  gained  the  deck  of  the  Heart  of 
Ireland. 

Blood  led  the  way  down  to  the  cabin.  The 
lazaret  was  situated  under  the  cabin  floor,  and, 
while  Harman  opened  it.  Blood,  with  a  pencil 


%..  lA .  >!i5'^;'i^;-'-';  "^h^„^j. 


242 


SEA  PLUNDER 


and  a  bit  of  paper,  figured  out  their  require- 
ments. 

'*We  want  a  couple  of  tins  of  coffee,"  said 
he,  "and  half  a  dozen  of  condensed  milk- 
sugar,  biscuits — tobacco — beef." 

"It's  sorry  I  am  I  haven't  any  cigars  to  offer 
you,"  said  Ginnell,  with  a  half  laugh,  "but 
there's  some  tins  of  sardines;  be  sure  an'  take 
the  sardines,  Mr,  Harman,  for  me  heart 
wouldn't  be  aisy  if  i  didn't  think  you  were 
well  supplied  with  comforts." 

"I  can't  find  any  sardines,"  said  the  delving 
Harman,  "but  here's  baccy  enough,  and  eight 
tins  of  beef  will  be  more  than  enough  to  get 
us  to  Frisco." 

"Take  a  dozen,"  said  Ginnell ;  "there  ain't 
more  than  a  dozen  all  told ;  but,  sure,  I'll  man- 
age to  do  without,  and  never  grumble  so  long 
as  you're  well  supplied." 

Blood  glanced  at  him  with  an  angry  spark 
in  his  eye. 

"We've  no  wish  to  crowd  you,  Pat  Ginnell," 
said  he,  "and  what  we  take  we  pay  for,  or  we 
will  pay  for  it  when  we  get  to  port.    You'll 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    243 

please  remember  you're  talking  to  an  Irish- 
man." 

"Irishman!"  cried  Ginnell.  "You'll  be 
plazed  to  remember  I'm  an  Irishman,  too." 

"Well  I  know  it,"  replied  the  other. 

This  remark,  for  some  unaccountable  rea- 
son, seemed  to  incense  Ginnell.  He  clenched 
his  fists,  stuck  out  his  jaw,  glanced  Blood  up 
and  down,  and  then,  as  if  remembering  some- 
thing, brought  himself  under  control  with  a 
mighty  effort. 

"There's  no  use  in  talk,"  said  he;  "we'd  bet- 
ter be  gettin'  on  with  our  business.  You'll 
want  somethin'  in  the  way  of  a  sack  to  cart  all 
that  stuff  off  to  the  schooner.    I'll  fetch  you 


one 


» 


He  turned  to  the  companion  ladder  and 
climbed  it  in  a  leisurely  fashion.  On  deck  he 
took  a  deep  breath  and  stood  for  a  moment 
scanning  the  horizon  from  north  to  south. 
Then  he  turned  and  cast  his  eyes  over  Santa 
Catalina  and  the  distant  coast  line. 

Not  a  sail  was  visible,  nor  the  faintest  indi- 
cation of  smoke  in  all  that  stainless  blue. 


244 


SEA  PLUNDER 


sweeping  in  a  great  arc  from  the  northern  to 
the  southern  limits  of  visibility. 

No  one  was  present  to  watch  Ginnell  and 
what  he  was  about  to  do.  No  one  save  God 
and  the  sea  gulls — for  Chinese  don't  count. 

He  stepped  to  the  cabin  hatch. 

"Misther  Harman!"  cried  he. 

"Hello  I"  answered  Harman,  from  below. 
"Whacher  want?" 

"It's  about  the  Bank  of  California  I  want 
to  speak  to  you,"  replied  Ginnell. 

Harman's  round  and  astonished  face  ap- 
peared at  the  foot  of  the  ladder. 

"Bank  of  California?"  said  he.  "What  the 
blazes  do  you  mean,  Pat  Ginnell?" 

"Why,  you  said  you'd  put  me  share  of  the 
salvage  in  the  Bank  of  California,  didn't 
you?"  replied  Ginnell.  "Well,  I  just  want 
to  say  I'm  agreeable  to  your  proposal— and 
will  you  be  plazed  to  give  the  manager  me 
love  when  you  see  him?" 

With  that  he  shut  the  hatch,  fastening  it 
securely  and  prisoning  the  two  men  below, 
whose  voices  came  now  bearing  indications  of 


^3^ 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    245 

language  enough,  one  might  fancy,  to  lift  the 
deck.  He  knew  it  would  take  them  a  day's 
hard  work  to  break  out,  and  maybe  two.  Bad 
as  Ginnell  might  be,  he  was  not  a  murderer, 
and  he  reckoned  their  chances  were  excellent 
considering  the  provisions  and  water  they  had, 
their  own  energies,  and  the  drift  of  the  cur- 
rent, which  would  take  them  close  up  to  Santa 
Catalina. 

He  also  reckoned  that  they  would  give  him 
no  trouble  in  the  way  of  pursuit,  for  he  had 
literally  made  them  a  present  of  the  Heart  of 
Ireland. 

Having  satisfied  himself  that  they  were  well 
and  securely  held,  he  sent  the  whaleboat  off 
to  the  Tamalpais,  laden  with  the  crew's  be- 
longings, consisting  of  all  sorts  of  quaint  boxes 
and  mats.  This  was  managed  in  one  journey; 
the  boat  came  back  for  him,  and,  in  less  than 
an  hour  from  the  start  of  the  business,  he 
found  himself  standing  on  the  deck  of  the 
Tamalpais,  all  the  crew  transferred,  the  fel- 
lows hauling  on  the  halyards,  Chopstick 
Charlie  at  the  helm,  and  a  good  schooner,  with 


246 


SEA  PLUNDER 


a  cargo  worth  many  thousands  of  dollars,  un- 
derfoot. 

He  turned  to  have  a  look  at  the  compass 
and  a  word  with  the  steersman  before  going 
below. 

Down  below  he  had  a  complete  turnout  of 
the  Captain's  cabin,  and  found  the  log  for 
which  Harman  had  hunted  in  vain;  it  had  got 
down  between  the  bunk  bedding  and  the  pan- 
elling, and  he  brought  it  into  the  main  cabin, 
and  there,  seated  at  the  table,  he  pored  over 
it,  breathing  hard  and  following  the  passages 
with  his  horny  thumb. 

The  thing  had  been  faked  most  obviously, 
and  the  faking  had  begun  two  days  out  from 
Frisco.  A  gale  that  had  never  blown  had 
driven  the  Tamalpais  out  of  her  course,  et 
cetera;  and  Ginnell,  with  the  eye  of  a  sailor 
and  with  his  knowledge  of  the  condition  of  the 
Tamalpais  when  found,  saw  at  once  that  tliere 
was  something  here  darker  even  than  the  dark- 
ness that  Blood  and  Harman  had  perceived. 
Why  had  the  log  been  faked?  Why  had  the 
schooner  been  abandoned?    If  it  were  a  ques- 


'  HBT '•  '-i-l-^TTTIffP  ""  -rmr^ 


^t^<rsT~^ 


.:;^-^/-;--.,''^-^«:,;f. 


fe^jjl  :•,.'-■. 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    247 

tion  of  inaurance,  Captain  Keene  would  have 
scuttled  her  or  fired  her. 

Then,  again,  everything  spoke  of  haste 
amounting  to  panic.  Why  should  a  vessel,  in 
perfect  condition  and  in  good  weather,  be  de- 
serted as  though  some  visible  plague  had  sud- 
denly appeared  on  board  of  her? 

Ginnell  closed  the  book  and  tossed  it  back 
in  the  bunk. 

"What's  the  meaning  of  it?" 

Unhappy  man,  he  was  soon  to  find  out. 

At  eight  o'clock  next  morning,  in  perfect 
weather,  Ginnell,  standing  by  the  steer'-man 
and  casting  his  eyes  around,  saw  across  the 
heaving  blueness  of  the  sea  a  smudge  of  smoke 
on  the  western  horizon.  A  few  minutes  later, 
as  the  smoke  cleared,  he  made  out  the  form  of 
the  vessel  that  had  been  firing  up. 

Captain  Keene  had  left  an  old  pair  of 
binoculars  among  the  other  true  :  in  his  cabin. 
Ginnell  went  down  and  fetched  them  on  deck, 
then  he  looked. 

The  stranger  was  a  torpedo  boat;  she  was 


248 


SEA  PLUNDER 


J;. 


making  due  south,  and,  like  all  torpedo  boats, 
she  seemed  in  a  hurry. 

Then,  all  at  once,  and  even  as  he  looked,  her 
form  began  to  alter,  she  shortened  mysteri- 
ously, and  her  two  funnels  became  gradually 
one. 

She  had  altered  her  course;  she  had  evi- 
dently sighted,  and  was  making  direct  for,  the 
Tamalpais.  Not  exactly  direct,  perhaps,  but 
directly  enough  to  make  Ginnell's  lips  dry  as 
sandstone. 

"Bad  cess  to  her,"  said  Ginnell  to  himself; 
"there's  no  use  in  doin'  anythin'  but  pretendin' 
to  be  deaf  and  dumb.  And,  sure,  aren't  I  an 
honest  trader,  with  all  me  credentials,  Capt'in 
Keene,  of  Frisco,  blown  out  of  me  course,  me 
mate  washed  overboard?    Let  her  come." 

She  came  without  any  letting.  Shearing 
along  through  the  water,  across  which  the  hub- 
bub of  her  engines  could  be  distinctly  heard, 
and  within  signalling  distance,  now,  she  let  fly 
a  string  of  bunting  to  the  breeze,  an  order  to 
heave  to,  which  the  Tamalpais,  that  honest 
trader,  disregarded. 


.  "Piift    t  I  Mini')'     'il")  'f^'tl!  WI1BI"I>  'Si'  ^^mW^JFT  mW\ 


••l   »t    L-  '.?-•* 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    249 

Then  came  a  puff  of  white  smoke,  the  boom 
of  a  gun,  and  a  practice  shell  that  raised  a 
plume  of  spray  a  cable  length  in  front  of  the 
schooner,  and  went  off,  making  ducks  and 
drakes  for  miles  across  the  blue  sea. 

Ginnell  rushed  to  the  halyards  himself. 
Chopstick  Charlie,  at  the  wheel,  required  no 
orders,  and  the  Tamalpais  came  round,  with 
all  her  canvas  spilling  the  wind  and  slatting, 
while  the  warship,  stealing  along  now  with 
just  a  ripple  at  her  stern,  came  gliding  past  the 
stem  of  the  schooner. 

They  were  taking  her  name,  just  as  a  police- 
man takes  the  number  of  a  motor  car. 

It  was  a  ghastly  business.  No  cheery  voice, 
with  the  inquiry:  "What's  your  name  and 
where  are  you  bound  for?"  Just  a  silent  in- 
spection, and  then  a  dropped  boat. 

Next  moment  a  lieutenant  of  the  American 
navy  was  coming  over  the  side  of  the  Tamal- 
pais, to  be  received  by  Ginnell. 

"Captain  Keene?"  asked  the  lieutenant. 

'That's  me  name,"  answered  the  unfortu- 
nate, who  had  determined  on  the  role  of  the 


^ma^sBBm^mF?^ 


ZTiM^' 


i.^^^ 


250 


SEA  PLUNDER 


blustering  innocent;  "and  who  are  you,  to  be 
boardin'  me  like  this  and  firing  guns  at  me?" 

"Well,  of  all  the cheek!"  said  the  other, 

with  a  laugh.    'A  nice  dance  you've  led  us 
since  we  lost  you  in  that  fog." 

"Which  fog?"  asked  the  astonished  Ginnell. 
"Fog!  It's  some  other  ship  you're  after,  for  I 
haven't  sighted  a  fog  since  leavin'  port." 

"Oh,  close  up!"  said  the  other. 

His  men,  who  had  come  on  board,  were  busy 
with  the  covering  of  the  main  hatch,  and  he 
walked  forward,  to  superintend. 

The  hatch  cover  off,  they  rigged  a  tackle  and 
hauled  out  a  case  of  champagne;  four  cases 
of  champagne  they  brought  on  deck,  and  then, 
attacking  the  next  layer,  they  brought  out  a 
case  of  a  different  description.  It  contained  a 
machine  gun. 

Under  the  champagne  layer,  the  Tamalpa'n 
was  crammed  right  down  to  the  garboard 
strakes  with  contraband  of  war  in  the  form  of 
arms  and  ammunition  for  the  small  South 
American  republic  that  was  just  then  kicking 
up  a  dust  around  its  murdered  president. 


-^-49  ''''■- 


'»uJitm,:4j. 


tiAl 


>-;tiy  pr?i 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND  '    251 

Ginnell  saw  his  own  position  at  a  glance. 
The  Heart  of  Ireland  given  away  to  Blood 
and  Haiman  for  the  captaincy  of  a  gun  run- 
ner, and  a  seized  gun  runner  at  that. 

He  saw  now  why  Keene  and  his  crew  had 
deserted  in  a  hurry.  Chased  by  the  warship, 
and  running  into  a  fog,  they  had  slipped  away 
in  the  boats,  mailing  for  the  coast,  while  the 
pursuer  had  made  a  dead -west  run  of  it  to 
clear  herself  of  the  dangerous  coast  waters 
and  their  rocks  and  shoals. 

That  was  plain  enough  to  Ginnell,  but  the 
prospect  ahead  of  him  was  not  clear  at  all. 

He  could  never  confess  the  truth  about  the 
Heart  of  Ireland,  and,  when  they  took  him 
back  to  Frisco,  it  would  at  once  be  discovered 
that  he  was  not  Keene,  but  Ginnell.  What 
would  happen  to  him? 

What  did  happen  to  him?  I  don't  know. 
Billy  Meersam  could  throw  no  light  on  the 
matter.  He  said  that  he  believed  the  thing 
was  "  .  'bed  up  somehow  or  'nother,"  finish- 
ing with  the  opinion  that  a  good  many  things 
are  hushed  up  somehow  or  'nother  in  Frisco. 


iM 


IV 

AVALON  BAY 

I 

AvALON  Bay,  on  the  east  of  Santa  Catalina 
Island,  clips  between  its  two  horns  a  little  sea- 
side town  unique  of  its  kind.  Billy  Harman 
had  described  it  to  Captain  Blood  as  a  place 
where  you  saw  girls  bathing  in  Paris  hats. 
However  that  may  be,  you  see  stranger  tilings 
than  this  at  Avalon. 

It  is  the  head  centre  of  the  big-game  fisher- 
ies of  the  Cj\lifornia  coast.  Men  come  here 
from  all  parts  of  America  and  Europe  to  kill 
tarpon  and  yellow-tail  and  black  sea  bass,  to 
say  nothing  of  shark,  which  is  reckoned  now  as 
a  game  fish.  Trippers  come  from  IjOS  An- 
geles to  go  round  in  glass-bottomed  boats  and 
inspect  the  sea  gardens,  and  bank  presidents, 
Steel  Trust  men,  and  millionaires  of  every 

brand  come  for  their  health. 

252 


4rae<w 


s*r'5^^;;^^-f 


THE   'HEART  OF  IRELAND"    253 

You  will  see  monstrous  shark  gallowsed  on 
the  beach  and  three-hundred-pound  bass  be- 
ing photographed  side  by  side  with  their  cap- 
tors, and  you  will  have  the  fact  borne  in  on 
you  that  the  biggest  fish  that  haunt  the  sea  can 
be  caught  and  held  and  brought  to  gaflf  with  a 
rod  weighing  only  a  few  ounces  and  a  twenty- 
I  strand  line  that  a  child  could  snap. 

Every  one  talks  fish  at  Avalon,  from  the 
boatmen  who  run  the  gasoline  launches  to  the 
I  latest-arrived  man  with  a  nerve  breakdown 
I  who  has  come  from  the  wheat  pit  or  Wall 
I  Street  to  rest  himself  by  killing  sharks  or  fight- 
ing tuna,  every  one.  Here  you  are  estimated 
not  by  the  size  of  your  bank  balance,  but  by 
the  size  of  your  catch.  Not  by  your  social  po- 
sition, but  by  your  position  in  sport,  and  here 
the  magic  blue  or  red  button  of  the  Tuna  Club 
is  a  decoration  more  prized  than  any  foreign 
[order  done  in  diamonds. 

Colonel  Culpepper  and  his  daughter,  Rose, 
I  were  staying  at  Avalon  just  at  the  time  the 
[Yan-Shan  business  occurred  on  San  Juan. 
iThe  colonel  hailed  from  the  Middle  West  and 


■*   11' 


254  SEA  PLUNDER 

had  a  wide  reputation  on  account  of  his  luck 
and  his  millions.  Rose  had  a  reputation  of 
her  own;  she  was  reckoned  the  prettiest  girl 
wherever  she  went,  and  just  now  she  was  the 
prettiest  girl  in  Avalon. 

This  morning,  just  after  dawn,  Miss  Cul- 
pepper was  standing  on  the  veranda  of  the 
Metropole  Hotel,  where  the   darkies  were 
dusting  mats  and  putting  the  cane  chairs  in 
order.    Avalon  was  still  half  in  shadows,  but 
a  gorgeous  morning  hinted  of  itself  in  the  blue 
sky  overhead  and  the  touch  of  dusk-blue  sea 
visible  from  the  veranda.    The  girl  had  come 
down  undecided  as  to  whether  she  would  go 
on  the  water  or  for  a  ramble  inland,  but  the 
peep  of  blue  sea  decided  her.    It  was  irresisti- 
ble, and,  leaving  the  hotel,  she  came  toward 

the  beach. 

No  one  was  out  yet.  In  half  an  hour  or  less 
the  place  would  be  alive  with  boatmen,  but  in 
this  moment  of  enchantment  not  a  soul  was  to 
be  seen  either  on  the  premises  of  the  Tuna 
Club  or  on  the  little  playe  or  on  the  shingle, 


^^^^''^^^l!^!£^%Li^^^^^ 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    255 

where  the  small  waves  were  breaking,  crystal 
clear,  in  the  first  rays  of  the  sun. 

She  came  to  a  balk  of  timber  lying  close  to 
the  water's  edge,  stood  by  it  for  a  moment, 
and  then  sat  down,  nursing  her  knees  and  con- 
templating the  scene  before  her — the  sun- 
smitten  sea  looking  fresh,  as  though  this  were 
the  first  morning  that  had  ever  shone  on  the 
world,  the  white  gulls  flying  against  the  blue 
I  of  the  sky,  the  gasoline  launches  and  sailing 
[boats  anchored  out  from  the  shore  and  only 
waiting  the  boatmen,  the  gaffers,  the  men  with 
rods,  and  the  resumption  of  the  eternal  busi- 
[ness — Fish. 

The  sight  of  them  raised  no  desire  in  the 

Imind  of  the  gazer;  she  was  tired  of  fish.    A 

lover  of  the  sea,  a  fearless  sailor  and  gble  to 

jhandle  a  boat  as  well  as  a  man,  she  was  still 

[weary  of  the  eternal  subject  of  weights  and 

Imeasures;  she  had  lived  in  an  atmosphere  of 

[fish  for  a  month,  and,  not  being  much  of  a  fish- 

erwoman,  she  was  beginning  to  want  a  change, 

or,  at  all  events,  some  new  excitement.    She 

was  to  get  it. 


256 


SEA  PLUNDER 


A  crunching  of  the  shingle  behind  her  made 
her  turn.  It  was  Aransas  Joe,  the  first  boat 
man  out  that  morning,  moving  like  a  seal  to 
the  sea  and  laden  with  a  huge  can  of  bait,  a 
spare  spar,  two  sculls,  and  a  gaflf. 

Anything  more  unlovely  than  Aransas  Joe 
in  contrast  with  the  fair  morning  and  the  fresh 
figure  of  the  girl,  it  would  be  hard  to  imagine. 
Wall-eyed,  weather-stained,  fish-scaled,  and 
moving  like  a  plantigrade,  he  was  a  living 
epitome  of  longshore  life  and  an  object  lesson 
in  what  it  can  do  for  a  man. 

Joe  never  went  fishing;  the  beach  was  his 
home,  and  sculling  fishermen  to  their  yawls 
his   business.     The    Culpeppers   were  well 

known  to  him. 

"Joe,"  said  the  girl,  "you're  just  the  person 
I  want.    Come  and  row  me  out  to  our  yawl." 

"Where's  your  gaffer  an'  your  engine  man?" 

asked  Joe. 

"I  don't  want  them.  I  can  look  after  the 
engine  myself.    I'm  not  going  fishing." 

"Not  goin'  fishin',"  said  Joe,  putting  don 
his  can  of  bait  and  shifting  the  spar  to  his  leii 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    257 

shoulder ;  "not  goin'  fishin' !  Then  what  d'you 
want  doin'  with  the  yawl?" 

"I  want  to  go  for  a  sail — I  mean  a  spin.  Go 
on,  hurry  up  and  get  the  dinghy  down." 

Joe  relieved  himself  of  the  spar,  dropped 
the  gaff  by  the  bait  tin,  and  scratched  his 
head.    It  was  his  method  of  thinking. 

Unable  to  scratch  up  any  formulable  objec- 
tion to  the  idea  of  a  person  taking  a  fishing 
yawl  out  for  pleasure  and  not  for  fish,  yet 
realising  the  absurdity  of  it,  he  was  dumb. 
Then,  with  the  sculls  under  his  arm,  he  made 
for  a  dinghy  beached  near  the  water  edge, 
threw  the  sculls  in,  and  dragged  the  little  boat 
down  till  she  was  half  afloat.  The  girl  got  in, 
and  he  pushed  oflF. 

The  Sunfish  was  the  name  of  the  Culpep- 
pers'  yawl,  a  handy  little  craft  rigged  with  a 
Buffalo  engine  so  fixed  that  one  could  attend 
to  it  and  steer  at  the  same  time. 

"Mind  you,  and  keep  clear  of  the  kelp," 

said  Joe,  as  the  girl  stepped  from  the  dinghy 

to  the  larger  craft,  "if  you  don't  want  your 

I  propeller  tangled  up."    He  helped  her  to  haul 


258 


SEA  PLUNDER 


■.% 


the  anchor  in,  got  into  the  dinghy,  and  shoved 

oflf. 

"I'll  be  back  about  eight  or  nine,"  she  called 

after  him. 

"I'll  be  on  the  lookout  for  you,"  replied  he. 

Then  Miss  Culpepper  found  herself  in  the 
delightful  position  of  being  absolutely  alone 
and  her  own  mistress,  captain  and  crew  of  a 
craft  that  moved  at  the  turning  of  a  lever,  and 
able  to  go  where  she  pleased.  She  had  often 
been  out  with  her  father,  but  never  alone  like 
this,  and  the  responsible-irresponsible  sensa- 
tion was  a  new  delight  in  life  which,  until 
now,  she  had  never  even  imagined. 

She  started  the  engine,  and  the  Sunfish  be- 
gan to  glide  ahead,  clearing  the  fleet  of  little 
boats  anchored  out  and  rocking  them  with  her 
wash;  then,  in  a  grand  curve,  she  came  round 
the  south  horn  of  the  bay  opening  the  coast  of 
the  island  and  the  southern  sea  blue  as  lazulite 
and  speckless  to  the  far  horizon. 

"This  is  good,"  said  Miss  Culpepper  to  her- 
self; "almost  as  good  as  being  a  sea  gull." 
Sea  gulls  raced  her,  jeered  at  her,  showed 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    259 

themselves  to  her,  now  honey  yellow  against 
the  sun,  now  snowflake  white  with  the  sun 
against  them,  and  then  left  her,  quarrelling 
away  down  the  wind  in  search  of  something 
more  profitable. 

She  passed  little  bays  where  the  sea  sang  on 
beaches  of  pebble,  and  deep-cut  canons  rose- 
tinted  and  showing  the  green  of  fern  and  the 
ash  green  of  snake  cactus  and  prickly  pear. 
Sea  lions  sunning  themselves  on  a  rock  held 
her  eye  for  a  moment,  and  then,  rounding  the 
south  end  of  the  island,  a  pud  of  westerly  wind 
all  the  way  from  China  blew  in  her  face,  and 
the  vision  of  the  great  Pacific  opened  before 
her,  with  the  peaks  of  San  Clemente  showing 
on  the  horizon  twenty-four  miles  away  t(  the 
southwest. 

Not  a  ship  was  to  be  seen,  with  the  exception 
of  a  little  schooner  to  southward.  She  showed 
bare  sticks,  and  Miss  Culpepper,  not  knowing 
the  depth  of  the  water  just  there,  judged  her  to 
be  at  anchor. 

Here,  clear  of  the  island  barrier,  the  vast 
and  endless  swell  of  the  Pacific  made  itself 


Ti*^&^^WS^xi^Ti?^^5W^ii57 


I'    s 


1' 


260 


SEA  PLUNDER 


felt,  lifting  the  Sunfish  with  a  buoyant  and 
balloonlike  motion.  Steering  the  swift-run- 
ning boat  across  these  gentle  vales  and  mead- 
ows of  ocean  was  yet  another  delight,  and  the 
flying  fish,  bright  like  frosted  silver,  with 
black,  sightless  eyes,  chased  her  now,  flittering 
into  the  water  ahead  of  the  boat  like  shaftless 
arrowheads  shot  after  her  by  some  invisible 
marksman. 

The  great  kelp  beds  oiled  the  sea  to  the 
northward,  and,  remembering  Joe's  advice, 
but  not  wishing  to  return  yet  a  while,  the  girl 
shifted  the  helm  slightly,  heading  more  for 
the  southward  and  making  a  beam  sea  of  the 
swell.    This  brought  the  schooner  in  sight. 

It  was  now  a  little  after  seven,  and  the  ap- 
petite that  waits  upon  good  digestion,  youth, 
and  perfect  health  began  to  remind  Miss  Cul- 
pepper of  the  breakfast  room  at  the  Metro- 
pole,  the  snow-white  tables,  the  attentive  wait- 
ers. She  glanced  at  her  gold  wrist  watch, 
glanced  round  at  Santa  Catalina,  that  seemed 
a  tremendous  distance  away,  and  put  the  helm 
hard  astarboard. 


l^iMI 


m 


mt.^. 


1 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    261 

She  had  not  noticed  during  the  last  half 
minute  or  so  that  the  engine  seemed  tired  and 
irritable.  The  sudden  shift  of  helm  seemed 
to  upset  its  temper  still  more,  and  then,  all  of 
a  sudden,  its  noise  stopped  and  the  propeller 
ceased  to  revolve. 

Miss  Culpepper,  perhaps  for  the  first  time 
in  her  life,  knew  the  meaning  of  the  word 
"silence."  The  silence  that  spreads  from  the 
Horn  to  the  Yukon,  from  Mexico  to  Hong- 
kong, held  oflf  up  to  this  by  the  beat  of  the  pro- 
peller and  the  pur  of  the  engine,  closed  in  on 
her,  broken  only  by  the  faint  ripple  of  the  bow 
wash  as  the  way  fell  off  the  boat. 

She  guessed  at  once  what  was  the  matter, 
and  confirmed  her  suspicions  by  examining  the 
gasoline  gauge.  The  tank  was  empty.  Aran- 
sas Joe,  whose  duty  it  was,  had  forgotten  to  fill 
it  up  the  night  before. 

Of  all  breakdowns  this  was  the  worst,  but 
she  did  not  grumble;  the  spirit  that  had  raised 
Million  Dollar  Culpepper  from  nothing  to 
affluence  was  not  wanting  in  his  daughter. 

She  said,  "Bother!"  glanced  at  Santa  Cata- 


iSfe 


262  SEA  PLUNDER 

Una,  glanced  at  thf-  schooner,  and  then,  step- 
ping the  mast  of  the  yawl,  shook  out  her  sail 
to    the   wind.      She   was    steering    for   the 
schooner.    It  was  near,  the  island  was  far,  and 
she  reckoned  on  getting  something  to  eat  to 
stay  her  on  the  long  sail  back;  also,  somehow, 
the  sudden  longing  for  the  sight  of  a  human 
face  and  the  sound  of  a  human  voice  in  that 
awful  loneliness  on  whose  fringe  she  had  in- 
truded had  fallen  upon  her.    There  were  sure 
to    be    sailormen    of    some    sort    upon    the 
schooner,   and  where  there  were  sailormen 
there  was  sure  to  be  food  of  some  sort. 

But  there  was  no  one  to  be  seen  upon  the 
deck,  and,  as  she  drew  closer,  the  atmosphere 
of  forsakenness  around  the  little  craft  became 
ever  apparent.  As  she  drew  closer  still  she 
let  go  the  sheet  and  furled  the  sail.  So  clev- 
erly had  she  judged  the  distance  that  the  boat 
had  just  way  enough  on  to  bring  it  rubbing 
against  the  schooner's  starboard  side.  She  had 
cast  out  the  port  fenders,  and,  standing  at  the 
bow  with  the  boat  hook,  she  clutched  onto  the 
after  channels,  tied  up,  and  then,  standing  on 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    263 

the  yawl's  gunwale,  and,  with  an  agility  none 
the  less  marked  because  nobody  was  looking, 
scrambled  on  board.  She  had  not  time  to 
more  than  glance  at  tae  empty  and  desolate 
deck,  for  scarcely  had  her  foot  touched  the 
planking  when  noises  came  from  below. 
There  were  people  evidently  in  the  cabin  and 
they  were  shouting. 

Then  she  saw  that  the  cabin  hatch  was 
closed,  and,  not  pausing  to  consider  what  she 
might  be  letting  out,  the  girl  mastered  the 
working  of  the  hatch  fastening,  undid  it,  and 
stepped  aside. 

The  fore  end  of  a  sailorman  emerged,  a 
broad-faced,  blue-eyed  individual  blinking 
against  the  sunlight.  He  scrambled  on  deck, 
anJ  was  followed  by  another,  dark,  better 
looking,  and  younger. 

Not  a  word  did  these  people  utter  as  they 
stood  taking  in  everything  round  them  from 
the  horizon  to  the  girl. 

Then  the  first  descnbed  brought  his  eyes  to 
rest  on  the  girl, 
i     "Well,  I'm  darned!"  said  he. 


^^s^}^^m: 


264 


SEA  PLUNDER 


.»si 


,«■ 


II 

Let  me  interpolate  now  Mr.  Harman's  part 
of  the  story  in  his  own  words. 

"When  Cap  Ginnell  bottled  me  and  Blood 
in  the  cabin  of  the  Heart  of  Ireland,"  said  he, 
"we  did  a  bit  of  shoutin'  and  then  fell  quiet. 
There  ain't  no  use  in  shoutin'  against  a  two- 
inch  thick  cabin  hatch  overlaid  with  iron 
platin'.  He'd  made  that  hatch  on  purpose  fo' 
the  bottling  of  parties;  must  have,  by  the  way 
it  worked  and  by  the  armamints  on  it. 

"You  may  say  we  were  mugs  to  let  ourselves 

be  bottled  like  that.    We  were.    Y'  see,  we 

hadn't  thought  it  over.    We  hadn't  thought  it 

would  pay  Ginnell  to  abandon  the  Heart  for  a 

derelick  schooner  better  found  and  up  to  her 

hatches  with  a  cargo  of  champagne,  or  wp 

wouldn't  have  let  him  fool  us  down  into  the 

cabin  like  we  did  and  then  clap  the  hatch  on 

us.      Leavin'  alone  the  better  exchange,  we 

hadn't  thought  it  would  be  nuts  to  him  to  do 

us  in  the  eye.    Mugs  we  were,  and  mugs  we 

found  ourselves,  sittin'  on  the  cabin  table  and 


mm 


I 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    265 

listenin'  to  the  blighter  clearin'  the  crew  off. 
There  weren't  no  chance  of  any  help  from 
them.  Chows  they  were,  carin'  for  nothin' 
s'long  as  their  chests  an'  opium  pipes  was  safe. 
"T^e  skylight  overhead  was  no  use  for 
r  (1  a  cat  to  crawl  through,  if  it'd  been 
A  h  .. ' . ,  sn't,  nore'n  an  inch,  and  fast- 


>v 


01;' 


t.l 


(VA 


'».  -ck  side.  Portholes!  God 
.  ir  ijttles  wasn't  big  enough  for 
.'   fi "  in. 

.  8'^od:  'Listen  to  the  blighters  1 
e  do  nuthin',  sittin'  here  on  oui 
beau.  ^uJi?  Ain't  you  got  nuthin'  in  your 
head?  Ain't  you  got  a  match  in  your  pocket  to 
fire  the  tub  and  be  done  with  it?' 

"  'It'll  be  lucky  for  us,'  says  Blood,  'if  Cap 
Ginnell  doesn't  fire  her  before  he  leaves  her.' 
With  that,  I  didn't  think  anythin'  more  about 
matches.  No,  sir!  For  ha'f  an  hour  after  the 
last  boatload  of  Chows  and  their  dunnage  was 
off  the  ship  and  away  I  was  sniffin'  like  a  dog 
at  the  hatch  cover  for  the  smell  of  smoke,  and 
prayin'  to  the  A'mighty  between  sniffs. 
"After  that  we  rousted  round  to  see  how  we 


'>'-S 


^^ip^^^l 


IP  ' 


'1  m 


266  SEA  PLUNDER 

were  fixed  up  for  provisions  and  water.   We 
found  grub  enough  for  a  month,  and  in  one  of 
the  bunks  a  breaker  ha'f  filled  with  water. 
Now  that  breaker  must  have  been  put  there 
for  us  by  Ginnell  before  we  left  the  Heart  to 
'xaminc  the  derelick  schooner.    He  must  have 
fixed  in  his  mind  to  do  us  in  and  change  ship 
right  from  the  first.     I  remarks  on  this  to 
Blood,  and  then  we  starts  a  hunt  for  tools  to 
cut  our  way  out  of  there,  findin^  nuthin'  ser- 
viceable but  cutlery  ware  an'  a  corkscrew. 
Two  prong  forks  and  knives  wore  thin  with 
usin'  weren't  what  we  were  searchin'  for;  a 
burglar's  jimmy,  blastin'  powder,  and  a  drill 
was  more  in  our  line,  but  there  weren't  any, 
so  we  just  set  to  with  the  knives,  cuttin'  and 
scrubbin'  at  the  tender  parts  of  the  hatch,  more 
like  tryin'  to  tickle  a  girl  with  iron  stays  on 
her  than  any  useful  work,  for  the  plates  on 
that  "latch  would  'a'  giveu  sniff  to  the  plates  on 
a  battleship,  till  I  give  over  and  just  sat  down 
on  the  floor  cursin'  Schwab  and  the  Steel 
Trusts  and  Carnegie  and  Ginnell  and  the  chap 
that  had  forged  them  plates  from  the  tip  of  his 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    267 

hammer  to  the  toe  of  his  boots.  'Oh,  why  the 
blazes,'  says  I,  'weren't  we  born  rats!  There's 
some  sense  in  rats ;  rats  would  be  out  and  on 
deck,  while  here's  two  chaps  with  five  fingers 
on  each  fist  and  men's  brains  in  their  heads 
bottled  and  done  for,  scratchin'  like  blind  kit- 
tens shet  up  in  a  box,  and  all  along  of  puttin' 
their  trust  in  a  swab  they  ought  to  have 
scragged  when  they  had  the  chanst' 

"  'Oh,  shet  your  head!'  says  Blood. 

"  'Shet  yours,'  says  I.  'I'nn  speakin'  for  both 
of  us;  it's  joining  in  with  that  skrimshanker's 
done  us.  Bad  comp'ny,  neither  more  nor 
neither  less,  and  I'm  blowed  if  I  don't  quit 
such  and  their  likes  and  turn  Baptis'  minister 
if  I  ever  lay  leg  ashore  again.'  Yes,  that's 
what  I  says  to  Cap  Blood ;  I  was  that  het  up  I 
laid  for  everythin'  in  sight.  Then  I  goes  on  at 
him  for  the  little  we'd  done,  forgettin'  it  was 
the  tools  weic  at  fault.  'What's  the  use,'  says 
I,  'tinkerin'  away  at  that  hatch?  You  might 
as  well  be  puttin'  a  blister  on  a  bald  head, 
hopin'  to  raise  hair.  Here  we  are,  and  here 
wc  stick,'  I  says,  'till  Providence  lets  us  out' 


268 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"The  words  were  scarce  out  of  my  head 
when  he  whips  out  Ginneil's  gun,  which  he 
was  carryin'  in  his  pocket  and  hadn't  remem- 
bered till  then.  I  thought  he  was  goin'  to  lay 
for  me,  till  he  points  the  mouth  of  it  at  the 
hatch  and  lets  blaze.  There  were  three 
ca'tridges  in  the  thing,  and  he  fires  the  three, 
and  when  I'd  got  back  my  hearing  and  the 
smoke  had  cleared  a  bit  there  was  the  hatch 
starin'  at  us  unrattled,  with  three  spelters  of 
lead  markin'  it  like  beauty  spots  over  the  three 
dimples  left  by  the  bullets. 

"All  the  same,  the  firin'  done  us  good— sort 
of  cleared  the  air  like  a  thunder-storm—and 
I  began  to  remember  I'd  got  a  mouth  on  me 
and  a  pipe  in  my  pocket.  We  lit  up  and  sat 
down,  him  on  the  last  step  of  the  companion- 
way  and  me  on  the  table  side,  and  then  we  be- 
gan to  figure  on  what  hand  Providence  was 
like  to  take  in  the  business. 

"I  says  to  him :  'There's  nothin'  but  Provi- 
dence left,  barrin'  them  old  knives  and  tliat 
corkscrew,  and  they're  out  of  count.  We're 
driftin'  on  the  Kuro  Shiivo  current,  aimin' 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    269 

right  for  the  Horn,  you  may  say,  but  there's 
the  kelp  beds,  and  they're  pretty  sure  to  hold 
us  a  bit.  They're  south  of  us,  and  Santa  Cata- 
lina's  east  of  them,  with  lots  of  fishin'  boats 
sure  to  be  out,  and  it's  on  the  cards  that  some 
of  them  jays  will  spot  us.  "Derelick"  is  writ 
all  over  us — bare  sticks  and  nothin'  on  deck, 
and  sluin'  about  to  the  current  like  a  drunk 
goin'  home  in  the  mornin'.' 

"The  Cap  he  cocks  his  eye  up  at  the  telltale 
compass  fixed  on  the  beam  overhead  of  him. 
It  cheered  him  up  a  bit  with  its  deviations, 
and  he  allowed  there  might  be  somethin'  in 
the  Providence  business  if  the  kelp  beds  only 
held  good. 

"  Tallin'  them,'  he  says,  'it's  the  Horn  and  a 
clear  sea  all  the  way  to  it,  with  the  chance  of 
bein'  passed  be  day  or  rammed  at  night  by 
some  rotten  freighter.  I  don't  know  much 
[about  Providence,'  he  says,  'but  if  you  give 
me  the  choice  between  the  two,  I'll  take  the 
I  kelp  beds.' 

"Blood  hadn't  no  more  feelin's  for  religion 
I  in  him  than  a  turkey.     He  was  a  book-read 


270  SEA  PLUNDER 

man,  and  I've  took  notice  that  nothin'  shakes 
a  sailorman  in  his  foundations  s'  much  as 

messin'  with  books. 

"I  don't  say  my  own  religious  feelin's  run 
equal,  but  they  gets  me  by  the  scruff  after  a  jag 
and  rubs  me  nose  in  it,  and  they  lays  for  me 
when  I'm  lonely,  times,  with  no  money  or  the 
chanst  of  it  in  sight;  times,  they've  near  caught 
me  and  made  good  on  the  clutch,  so's  that  if 
I'm  not  bangin'  a  drum  in  the  Sa'vation  Army 
at  this  present  minit  it's  only  be  the  mercy  of 
Providence.     I've  had  close  shaves,  bein^  a 
man  of  natural  feelin's,  of  all  the  traps  laid  for 
such,  but  Blood  he  held  his  own  course,  and 
not  bein'  able  to  see  that  the  kelp  beds  might 
have  been  put  there  by  Providence  to  hold  us 
a  bit— which  they  were— and  give  us  a   hanst 
of  bein'  overhauled  before  makin'  a  long  board 
for  the  Horn  and  sure  damnation,  I  didnt 
set  out  to  'lighten  him. 

"Well,  folks,  that  day  passed  somehow  or 
nuther,  us  takin'  spells  at  the  hatch  to  put  m 
the  time.  Blood  he  found  a  spare  ca'tridge  of 
Ginnell's,  and  the  thought  came  to  him  to 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    271 

scrape  a  hole  at  the  foot  of  the  hatch  cover 
and  use  the  ca'tridge  for  a  blastin'  charge. 
The  corkscrew  came  in  handy  for  this,  and 
toward  night  he'd  got  the  thing  fixed.  'Now,' 
says  he,  'you'll  see  somethin'l'  And  he  up 
with  the  revolver  and  hit  the  ca'tridge  a  belt 
with  the  butt  end,  and  the  dumed  thing  back- 
fires and  near  blew  his  head  off. 

"After  that  we  lit  the  cabin  lamp  and  had 
supper  and  went  asleep,  and  early  next  morn- 
in'  I  was  woke  by  the  noise  of  a  boat  comin' 
alongside.  I  sat  up  and  shook  Blood,  and  we 
listened. 

"Then  we  began  to  shout  and  bang  on  the 
I  hatch,  and  all  at  once  the  fastenin's  went,  and 
all  at  once  the  sun  blazed  on  us,  and  next  minit 

was  on  deck,  with  Blood  after  me.  Now 
jwhat  d'you  think  had  let  us  out?  I'll  give  you 
twenty  shots  and  lay  you  a  dollar  you  don't 
hit  the  bull's-eye.  A  girl!  That's  what  had 
let  us  out.  Dressed  in  white,  she  were,  with  a 
panama  on  her  head  and  a  gold  watch  on  her 
wrist  and  white  shoes  on  her  feet  and  a  smile 
Ion  her  face  like  the  sun  dazzle  on  water.    And 


:\  fe 


llii  :; 


272 


SEA  PLUNDER 


pretty  1  Well,  I  guess  Fm  no  beauty-show 
judge,  and  my  eyes  had  lit  on  nothin'  prettier 
than  Ginnell  since  leavin'  Frisco,  so  I  may 
have  been  out  of  my  reckonin'  on  points  of 
beauty,  but  she  were  pretty.  Lord  love  me,  I 
never  want  to  see  nothin'  prettier!  I  let  out 
an  oath,  I  was  that  shook  up  at  the  sight  of  her, 
and  Blood  he  hit  me  a  drive  in  the  back  that 
nigh  sent  me  into  her  arms,  and  then  we  settled 
down  and  explained  matters. 

"She  was  out  from  Avalon  in  a  motor  boat, 
and  she'd  run  short  of  spirit  and  sailed  up  to 
us,  thinkin'  we  were  at  anchor.  Providence! 
I  should  think  so!  Providence  and  the  kelp 
beds,  for  only  for  them  we'd  have  been  twenty- 
miles  to  the  s'uth'ard,  driftin'  to  Hades  like 
hutched  badgers  on  a  mill  stream.  We  told 
her  how  Ginnell  had  fixed  us,  and  she  told  us 
how  the  gasoline  had  fixed  her.  'And  now,' 
says  she,  'will  you  give  me  a  biskit,  for  Vm 
hungry  and  I  wants  to  get  back  to  Avalon, 
where  my  poppa  is  waitin'  for  me,  and  he'll 
be  gettin'  narvous,'  she  says. 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    273 

"  'Lord  love  you,'  says  I,  'and  how  do  you 
propose  to  get  back?' 

"For  the  wind  had  fallen  a  dead  ca'm,  and 
right  to  Catalina  and  over  to  San  Clemente 
the  sea  lay  like  plate  glass,  with  the  Kuro 
Shiwo  flowin'  under  like  a  blue  satin  snake. 

"She  bit  on  her  lip,  but  she  was  all  sand, 
that  girl — Culpepper  were  her  name— and  not 
a  word  did  she  say  for  a  minit.  Then  she  says, 
aimin'  to  be  cheerful :  'Well,  I  suppose,'  says 
she,  'we'll  just  have  to  stay  at  anchor  here  till 
they  fetch  me  or  the  wind  comes.' 

"'Anchor!'  said  I.  'Why,  Lord  bless  you, 
there's  a  mile-deep  water  under  usl  We're 
driftin'.' 

"'Driftin'!'  she  cries.  'And  where  are  we 
driftin'  to?' 

"That  fetched  me,  and  I  was  hangin'  in  irons 
when  Blood  chipped  in  and  cheered  her  up 
with  lies  and  told  me  to  stay  with  her  whiles 
he  went  down  below  and  got  some  breakfast 
ready,  and  then  I  was  left  alone  with  her, 
trustin'  in  Providence  she  wouldn't  ask  no 
more  questions  as  to  w|iere  we  were  driftin'  to. 


M*-  ■ 


n. 

I- 

I'  I; . 


274 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"She  sat  on  the  cargo  hatch  whiles  I  filled 

a  pipe,  lookin'  round  about  her  like  a  cat  in  a 

new  house,  and  then  she  got  mighty  chummy 

I  don't  know  how  she  worked  it,  but  in  ten 

minits  she'd  got  all  about  myself  out  of  me 

and  all  about  Ginnell  and  Blood  and  the  Yan- 

Shan   and    the    dollars   we'd   missed;   she'd 

learned  that  I  never  was  married  and  who  W3« 

me  father  and  why  I  went  to  sea  at  first  start. 

Right  down  to  the  colour  of  me  first  pair  of 

pants  she  had  it  all  out  of  me.     She  was  a 

sure-enough  lady,  but  I  reckon  she  missed  her 

vocation  in  not  bein'  a  bilge  pump.    Then  she 

heaves  a  sigh  at  the  sound  of  ham  frying  down 

below,  and  hoped  that  breakfast  was  near 

ready,  and  right  on  her  words  Blood  hailed 

us  from  below. 

"He'd  opened  the  skylight  wide  and 
knocked  the  stuffiness  out  of  the  cabin,  and 
down  we  sat  at  the  table  with  fried  ham  and 
ship's  bread  and  coffee  before  us. 

"I'd  never  set  at  table  with  the  likes  of  her 
before,  but  if  every  real  lady's  cut  on  her  bias, 

I   wouldn't  mind   settin'   at  table  with  one 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    275 

every  day  in  me  life.  There  was  only  two 
Itnives  left  whole  after  our  practice  on  the 
hatch  with  them.  Blood  and  she  had  the 
whole  ones,  arid  I  made  out  with  a  stump,  but 
she  didn't  mind  nor  take  notice.  She  was 
talkin'  away  all  the  time  she  was  stuffin'  her- 
self, pitchin'  into  Cap  Ginnell  just  like  one 
of  us.  Oh,  I  guess  if  she'd  been  a  man  she'd 
have  swore  worth  listenin'  to;  she  had  the 
turn  of  the  tongue  for  the  work,  and  what  she 
said  about  Ginnell  might  have  been  said  in 
chapel  without  makin'  parties  raise  a  hair, 
but  I  reckon  it'd  have  raised  blisters  on  the 
soul  of  Pat  Ginnell  if  he'd  been  by  to  hear 
and  if  he'd  a  soul  to  blister,  which  he  hasn't." 

Mr.  Harman  relit  his  pipe,  and  seemed  for 
a  moment  absorbed  in  contemplation  of  Miss 
Culpepper  and  her  possibilities  as  a  plain 
speaker;  then  he  resumed: 

"She  made  us  tell  her  all  over  again  about 
the  Yan-Shan  business  and  the  dollars,  and 
she  allowed  we  were  down  on  our  luck,  and 
she  put  her  finger  on  the  spot.  Said  she :  'You 
fell  through  by  not  goin'  on  treatin'  Ginnell 


BflSii 


276 


SEA  PLUNDER 


^:- 


as  you  begun  treatin'  him.  If  he  was  bad 
enough  to  be  used  that  way,  he  wasn't  even 
good  enough  for  you  to  make  friends  with.' 
Them  wasn't  her  words,  but  it  was  her 
meanin'. 

"Then  we  left  her  to  make  her  t'ilet  with 
Blood's  comb  and  iTrush,  tellin'  her  she  could 
have  the  cabin  to  herself  as  long  as  she  was 
aboard,  and,  ten  minutes  after,  she  was  on 
deck  again,  bright  as  a  new  pin,  and  scarce 
had  she  stuck  her  head  into  the  sun  than 
Blood,  who  was  aft,  dealin'  with  some  old 
truck,  shouts:    'Here's  the  wind!' 

"It  was  coming  up  from  s'uth'ard  like  a 
field  of  blue  barley,  and  I  took  the  wheel,  and 
Blood  and  her  ran  to  the  halyards.  She 
hauled  like  a  good  un,  and  the  old  Heart 
sniflfed  and  shook  at  the  breeze,  and  I  tell  you 
it  livened  me  up  again  to  feel  the  kick  of  the 
wheel.  We'd  got  the  motor  boat  streamed 
astern  on  a  line,  and  then  I  gave  the  old  Heart 
the  helm,  and  round  she  came,  so  that  in  a 
minit  we  were  headin'  for  Santa  Catalina  hull 
down   on   the  horizon   and  only  her  spars 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    277 

showin',  so  to  speak.  I  thought  that  girl 
would  'a'  gone  mad.  Not  at  the  chanst  of  get- 
tin'  back,  but  just  from  the  pleasure  of  feelin' 
herself  on  a  live  ship  and  helpin'  to  handle 
her.  I  let  her  have  the  wheel,  and  she  steered 
good,  and  all  the  time  Santa  Catalina  was 
liftin',  and  now  we  could  see  with  the  glass 
that  the  water  all  round  the  south  end  was 
thick  with  boats. 

"They're  huntin'  for  me,'  said  she.  *I 
guess  poppa  is  in  one  of  them  boats,'  she  says, 
'and  won't  he  be  surprised  when  he  finds  I 
ain't  drowned?  Your  fortunes  is  made,'  says 
she,  'for  pop  owns  the  ha'f  of  Minneapolis, 
and  I  guess  he'll  give  you  ha'f  of  what  he  owns. 
You  wait  till  you  hear  the  yarn  I'll  sling 
him Here  they  come  I' 

"They  sighted  us,  and  ha'f  a  hundred  gaso- 
line launches  were  nose  end  on  for  us,  fan- 
ning out  like  a  regatta,  and  in  the  leadin' 
launch  sat  an  old  chap  with  white  whiskers 
and  a  fifty-dollar  panama  on  his  head. 

"  That's  pop,'  she  said. 

"He  were,  and  we  hove  to,  whiles  he  came 


MIOtOCOTY   RESOLUTION   TEST   CHART 

(ANSI  and  ISO  TEST  CHART  No.  2) 


1.0    H"^  ■ 

=— !!^  156      13.2  11,11 


I.I 


2.5 


1^ 

^  m 

ill  1.8 


1.25 


1.4 


i.6 


^  /IPPLIED  IN/MGE     he 

5^  1653   East    Main   Streel 

r-SS  Rochester,    New   York         14609       USA 

,^S  (716)    482  -  0300  -  Phone 

^S  (716)    288  -  5989  -  Fox 


278 


SEA  PLUNDER 


cliinbin'  on  board  like  a  turtle,  one  leg  over 
the  bulwarks  and  one  arm  round  her  neck,  and 
then  up  went  a  hallelujah  chorus  from  that 
crowd  of  craft  round  us,  women  wavin'  hand- 
kerchiefs and  blowin'  their  noses  and  blub- 
bing nufT  to  make  a  camel  sick. 

"Then  he  and  she  went  down  to  the  cabin 
to  make  explanashions,  and  the  parties  in  the 
boats  tried  to  board  us,  till  I  threatened  them 
with  a  boat  hook  and  made  them  fend  off 
while  we  got  way  on  the  Heart. 

"When  we  were  near  into  Avalon  Bay,  the 
Gulps  came  on  deck,  and  old  man  Culpepper 
took  of?  his  hat  to  me  and  Blood  and  made  us 
a  speech,  sayin'  we'd  lifted  weights  off  his 
heart,  and  all  such. 

"  'Never  mind,'  says  Blood,  'we  haven't 
done  nuthin'.  Put  it  all  down  to  Providence,' 
sys  he,  'for  if  we  saved  her  she  saved  us,  and 
I  ain't  used  to  bein'  thanked  for  nothin'.' 

"But,  Lord  bless  you,  you  migh':  as  well 
have  tried  to  stop  the  Mississippi  in  flood  as 
that  old  party  when  he'd  got  his  thank  gates 
up.   He  said  we  were  an  honour  to  merchant 


;"rSK^*=v--?^^  :''<>:' 


vi:^.  v'fy <-<?■•/ 


.'•i*l     ■'V:it*'*?.'.9^ 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    279 

seamen,  which  we  weren't,  and  the  great 
American  nation — and  Blood  black  Irish  and 
me  Welsh,  with  an  uncle  that  was  a  Dutch- 
man— and  then  I'm  blest  if  he  didn't  burst  into 
po'try  about  the  flag  that  waves  over  us  all. 

"It  began  to  look  like  ten  thousand  dollars 
in  gold  coin  for  each  of  us,  and  more  than  like 
it  when  we'd  dropped  anchor  in  the  bay  and 
he  told  us  to  come  ashore  with  him. 

"Now  I  don't  know  how  longshore  folk* 
have  such  sharp  noses,  but  I  do  know  them 
longshore  boatmen  on  Avalon  Beach  seemed 
to  know  by  the  cut  of  the  Heart  and  us  we 
weren't  no  simple  seamen,  with  flags  wavin' 
over  us  and  an  honour  to  our  what-you-call- 
it  navy.  They  sniffed  at  us  by  some  instinct 
or  other,  more  special  a  wall-eyed  kangaroo 
by  the  name  of  Aransas  Jim,  I  think  it  were. 

"Said  nothin'  much,  seein'  old  man  Gulp 
was  disembarkin'  us  with  an  arm  round  each 
of  our  necks,  so  to  say,  but  we  took  up  their 


*  Allow  me  to  assure  the  "longshore  boatmen"  on 
Avalon  Beach  that  my  opinion  of  them  is  not  that  ex- 
pressed hereafter  by  Mr.  Harman. — Author. 


.    ^?^^im^*i^  mw^ 


!:i-Sa?aj*4;i;-?''iic-i}t£'3tt^ 


28o 


SEA  PLUNDER 


:.i 


looks,  and  I'd  to  lay  pretty  strong  holts  on 
myself  or  I'd  have  biffed  the  blighters,  lot 
o'  screw-neck  mongrels,  so's  their  mothers 
wouldn't  have  known  which  was  which  when 
sortin'  the  manglin'. 

"Now  you  listen  to  what  happened  then. 
Culp  he  took  us  up  to  a  big  hotel,  where 
niggers  served  us  with  a  feed  in  a  room  by 
ourselves.  Champagne  they  give  us,  and  all 
sorts  of  truck  I'd  never  set  eyes  on  before. 
And  when  it  was  over  in  came  old  man  Culp 
with  an  envelope  in  his  hand,  which  he  gives 
to  Blood. 

"  'Just  a  few  dollars  for  you  and  your  mate,' 
says  he,  'and  you  have  my  regards  always.' 

"The  girl  she  came  in  and  near  kissed  us, 
and  off  we  went  with  big  cigars  in  our  mouths, 
feelin'  we  were  made  men.  The  longshore- 
men were  still  on  the  beach  scratchin'  the  fleas 
off  themselves  and  talkin',  I  expec',  of  the  next 
millionaire  they  could  rob  by  pretendin'  to 
be  fishermen.  Blood  he  picked  up  a  pebble 
on  the  shingle  and  put  it  "'n  his  pocket,  and 
when    the    longshore   louts   saw   us   comin', 


■.:,i\V- 


>-v4-^^>^r 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    281 


srnokin'  cigars  and  walkin'  arrogant,  they 
made  sure  old  man  Gulp  had  given  us  ha'f  a 
million,  and  they  looked  it.  All  them  noses 
of  theirs  weren't  turned  up  just  now.  They 
saw  dollars  comin'  and  hoped  for  a  share. 

^  'Here,  you  chap,'  says  Blood  to  Aransas 
Jim  or  Aransas  Joe  or  whichever  was  his 
name,  'help  us  to  push  our  boat  off  and  I'll 
make  it  worth  your  while.'  The  chap  does, 
and  wades  after  us,  when  we  were  afloat,  for 
his  dues.  He  held  out  his  hand,  and  Blood 
he  clapped  the  pebble  into  it,  and  off  we  shot 
with  them  helaballoing  after  us. 

"Much  we  cared. 

"On  board  the  Heart,  we  tumbled  down  to 
the  cabin  to  'xamine  our  luck.  Blood  takes 
the  envelope  from  his  pocket,  slits  it  open, 
and  takes  out  a  little  check  that  was  in  it.  How 
much  for,  d'you  think?  Five  thousand  dol- 
lars?   No,  it  weren't. 

"Twenty  dollars  was  writ  on  it.  Twenty 
dollars,  no  cents. 

"  'Say,  Blood,'  says  I  to  him,  'you've  got 
the  pebble  this  time.' 


-i%i'-' 


■!-■.  t    "■^'. 


282 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Blood  he  folded  the  check  up  and  lit  his 
pipe  with  it.  Then  he  says,  talkin'  in  a  satis- 
fied manner  's  if  to  himsell; 

"  'It  were  worth  it.' 

"That's  all  he  said.  And,  comin'  to  think 
of  it  now  meself,  it  were." 


THE  BIG  HAUL 


Captain  Michael  Blood  and  Billy  Har- 
man,  having  received  ten  thousand  dollars  for 
services  rendered  to  Henry  Clay  Armbruster, 
and  having  cashed  the  check,  held  a  consulta- 
tion as  to  what  they  should  do  with  it. 

Harman  was  for  filling  up  their  schooner, 
the  Heart  of  Ireland,  with  trade  and  starting 
off  for  the  islands  in  search  of  copra.  Blood, 
tired  of  the  sea,  for  a  while  demurred.  He 
said  he  wanted  to  enjoy  life  a  bit. 

"And  who's  to  stop  you?"  replied  the  open- 
minded  Harman.  "A  thousand  dollars  is  all 
we  want  for  a  bust,  and  a  week  to  do  it  in. 
I've  took  notice  that  the  heart  is  mostly  out  of 
a  bust  by  the  end  of  a  week,  after  that  it's  a 

fair  wind  and  foUowin'  sea  for  the  jimjams 

283 


284 


SEA  PLUNDER 


with  an  empty  hold  when  you  fetches  then 
Let's  lay  our  plans  and  work  cautious,  foi 
when  all's  said  and  done,  it's  no  great  shake 
to  wake  jailed  with  empty  pockets,  robbed  c 
your  boots  by  the  bar  drummers  you've  bee 
fillin'  with  booze. 

"Booze  ain't  no  use,"  continued  Mr.  Hai 
man,  finishing  his  glass — they  were  celebrai 
ing  the  occasion  in  a  bar  near  the  China  docks 
"Look  at  the  chaps  that  sell  it,  and  look  at  th 
chaps  that  swallow  it — one  lot  covered  witl 
di'monds  and  the  other  lot  with  their  toe 
stickin'  out  of  their  boots.  We've  got  to  worl 
cautious  and  keep  takin'  soundings  all  thi 
time,  for  riches  is  rocks,  as  I  heard  a  chaj 
once  sayin'  in  a  temp'rance  meetin'  on  thi 
Sand  Lot.  Twenty  year  ago  it  was,  but  thi 
sayin'  stuck  in  my  head — have  another?" 

They  failed  to  "work  cautious"  that  night 
Flushed  with  prosperity  and  unaccustomec 
drinks,  they  found  themselves  playing  cardi 
with  professional  gamblers,  who  relievec 
them  of  five  thousand  dollars  in  an  hour  anc 
twenty-five  minutes. 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    285 

"Riches  is  rocks."  There  was  never  a  truer 
saying;  and  next  morning,  not  being  alto- 
gether fools,  they  determined  to  thank  God 
the  whole  of  their  little  fortune  was  not  gone 
and  to  set  to  work  to  retrieve  their  losses. 

Now,  it  had  become  known  all  about  the 
waterside  that  the  Heart  of  Ireland  was  back. 
The  fate  of  Ginnell,  her  original  owner,  who 
had  been  jugged  for  gun  running,  was  still 
fresh  and  pleasant  in  the  mind  of  the  public; 
and  the  authorities,  who  boarded  the  Heart  on 
the  morning  after  the  gambling  adventures  of 
Blood  and  Harman,  would  have  had  a  lot  of 
things  to  say  to  those  two  had  not  Harman 
already  made  things  straight  with  the  "Clancy 
crowd,"   that   amiable   political   ring  whose 
freemasonic   friendship   and   protection   was 
never  invoked  in  vain  by  even  the  least  of  its 
members.    So  it  came  about  that  after  friendly 
conversation  and  cigars  the  authorities  rowed 
off,  and  scarcely  had  they  gone  when  a  boat 
with  a  big,  fat  man  in  the  stern  came  sculling 
I  up. 

I    "That's  Mike  Rafferty,"  said  Harman  to  his 


286 


SEA  PLUNDER 


companion.     "He^s   a   cousin   of   Ginne 
Now  what  in  the  nation  does  he  want  v 

us?" 

Rafferty  hailed  Harman  by  name  and  ci 
aboard.  Rafferty  knew  everything  at 
them,  from  the  fact  that  they  were  flusl 
coin  to  the  fact  that  they  were  in  a  kinc 
lawful-unlawful  possession  of  his  cou! 
schooner. 

He  talked  quite  openly  on  these  mat 
but  of  the  fate  of  his  Cousin  Ginnell  he 
nothing,  with  the  exception  of  a  dark 
that  wires  were  being  pulled  in  his  fayou 

Harman  was  equally  explicit. 

"He  jugged  us  in  the  cabin  of  this  sh 
said  Harman,  "and  made  off  on  the  derc 
we  struck  down  the  coast  there;  he  gave 
present  of  her.  That  we  stick  to,  and  if  I 
lay  hands  on  Pat  Ginnell  I'll  give  him  a  i 
ent  that'll  stick  to  him  for  the  rest  of 
nacheral." 

"Aisy,  now,"  said  Rafferty;  "don't  be  I 
your  hair.  I  know  the  swab,  and,  though 
workin'  in  his  favour,  bein'  cousins,  I'vt 


;1fe^S¥tgB^S§E^-g'^.HBbffi^lSaftt'.V 


.•K  -l^^^i  ■'0-'.^"-V-*vs-: 


•r:<-AX.-JALy  - 


.■fyen^OM^mei^ 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    287 

own  down  on  him.  He  sold  me  a  pup  over  the 
last  cargo  of  oil  he  brought  in,  and  if  it  wasn't 
for  the  disgrace  of  the  family  I'd  I'ave  him  lie 
without  raisin'  a  finger  to  better  him.  What 
I've  come  about  is  bizness.  I  hear  you've  been 
talkin'  of  copra." 

Harman  had,  in  various  bars,  and  he  made 
no  trouble  about  admitting  the  soft  impeach- 
ment. 

"Well,"  said  Rafferty,  "it's  become  a  poor 
business,  what  with  them  Germans  and  mis- 
sionaries and  such.  You  go  to  any  of  the 
islands  with  trade,  and  see  what  you'll  get. 
I've  worked  the  Pacific  since  I  was  a  boy  the 
height  of  me  knee,  and  I  know  it.  There's 
not  an  island,  nearly,  I'm  not  acqueented  with, 
not  a  reef,  begob ;  you  ask  any  one  and  t*^ey'll 
tell  you." 

Harman  knew  this  to  be  a  fact.  Rafferty, 
who  was  no  good  age,  had  been  engt  i  in 
blackbirding,  in  copra,  in  opium  smu 
in  all  the  in-and-out  ways  of  life  that  th^ 
Pacific  held  or  holds  open  to  man. 

"Heave  ahead,"  said  he. 


*ue 


.•*s«^^^':frc* 


mf^'m^^m^^tmtmeis^^B^^fsmQ 


288 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Well,"  said  Rafferty,  "this  is  me  bizr 
with  you.  Pay  me  fifty  dollars  down  and 
per  cent  of  the  takin's,  and  I'll  put  you  or 
an  island  where  you'll  fill  up  with  copra  fo 
few  old  beads  and  baccy  pipes.  It's  a  var 
island  out  of  trade  tracks;  you  won't  find  i 
Dutchman  there,  and  the  Kanaka  girls  co 
dancin'  round  you  with  nuthin'  on  them 
flowers.  You  won't  find  any  Bibles  nor  cri 
lines  sp'ilin'  the  people  there.  I  marked 
down  last  year  when  I  was  comin'  up  fr 
south  of  the  line,  with  a  never-mind  car 
But  I  left  the  sea  last  spring,  as  maybe  ] 
know,  else  I'd  have  taken  a  ship  down  th 
meself.  Fifty  dollars  down  and  ten  per  c 
on  the  takin's,  and  I'll  put  you  on  the  spot.' 

Harman  begged  time  to  considerthe  matl 
and  Rafferty,  after  drinks  and  conversation 
a  political  nature,  took  his  departure,  leavi 
his  address  behind. 

"Now,  you  see  how  crookedness  don't  pa 
said  Harman,  as  he  watched  the  boat  row  ( 
"Pat  Ginnell  was  so  good  at  bestin'  he  besi 
his  own  relations.    I  remember  that  blzn 


^'  *ff^^yTD*^^ 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    289 

about  the  shark  oil;  Rafferty  was  givin'  Gin- 
ncll  his  name  over  it  in  every  bar  in  Frisco, 
and  now  Rafferty's  spoilin'  to  get  his  own  back 
by  usin'  the  Heart.  Funny  them  Irish  are,  for 
he's  tryin'  with  the  other  hand  to  get  him  clear 
of  jail  for  the  sake  of  the  family.  Jail's  hell 
to  an  Irishman.  I've  always  took  notice  of 
that — no  oflFence  to  you." 

Blood  looked  away  over  the  blue  waters  of 
the  bay.  "It  is,"  said  he,  "and,  bad  as  I  hate 
Ginnell,  if  I  could  turn  the  lock  to  let  him  out, 
I'd  do  it  to-morrow — and  scrag  him  the  mo- 
ment after.  Jail's  not  natural  to  a  man.  If 
a  man's  not  fit  to  live  loose,  kill  him,  if  you 
want  to;  if  you  want  to  make  him  afraid  of 
the  law,  cut  the  skin  off  him  with  a  cat-o'-nine- 
tails, but  to  stick  him  in  a  cage — and  what's 
jail  but  a  cage?— is  to  turn  him  into  a  brute 
beast.    And  it  never  betters  him." 

Harman  concurred.  Sailors  have  a  way  of 
getting  at  the  truth  of  things  because  they  are 
always  so  close  to  them;  and  these  two,  dis- 
cussing penal  matters  on  the  deck  of  the  Heart 
of  Ireland,  might  have  been  listened  to  with 


290 


SEA  PLUNDER 


advantage  by  some  of  the  law  ofRcers  of  1 
nations. 

Then  they  had  drinks,  and  later  in  the  c 
they  called  on  Rafferty  at  his  office  in  Gin 
Street 

They  had  come  to  the  decision  to  take 
offer.  A  soft  island  was  well  worth  payi 
for.  Cayzer,  the  owner  of  the  great  Clan  1 
of  steamers,  made  his  fortune  by  knowi 
where  to  send  his  ships  for  cargo,  and,  thou 
Harman  knew  nothing  of  the  owner  of 
Clan  line,  he  was  keenly  alive  to  the  truth 
this  matter. 

"So  you've  come  to  agree  with  me,"  s; 
Rafferty.  "Well,  you  won't  be  sorry.  N( 
how  will  you  take  it — fifty  dollars  down  a 
a  ten-per-cent  royalty  to  me  on  the  takin's, 
would  you  sooner  make  a  clean  d'^al  and  \ 
me  a  hundred  and  fifty  down  and  no  royalti 
For  between  you  and  me  there's  a  lot  of 
chances  to  be  taken  and  the  old  Heart  is  nol 
young  as  she  used  to  be." 

Blood  and  Harman  took  a  walk  outside 


Lf»^«f^:S. 


■■i:;.-}\i-L^^:S:LMmr 


rs  of  the 

1  the  day 
in  Ginnis 

take  his 
h  paying 
Clan  line 
knowing 
1,  though 
iT  of  the 
;  truth  of 

ne,"  said 
jr.  Now, 
lown  and 
akin's,  or 
and  pay  | 
royalties? 
lot  of  sea 
/  is  not  as 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    291 

consult,  and  determined  to  make  a  "clean 
deal." 

"I  don't  want  to  be  payin'  no  royalties,"  said 
Harman;  "let's  cut  clear  of  the  chap  and  pay 
him  a  hundred  down;  he'll  take  it." 

He  did,  after  an  hour's  bargaining  and 
[wrangling  and  calling  the  saints  to  observe 
how  he  was  being  cheated. 

Then,  the  hundred  dollars  having  been 
paid,  he  gave  them  the  location  of  the  island 
on  the  chart  which  Harman  had  brought. 

To  be  almost  precise,  the  island  was  situated 
in  the  great  quadrilateral  of  empty  sea  south- 
west of  Honolulu,  bounded  by  the  Interna- 
tional Date  Line  to  westward,  latitude  10" 
[north  to  southward,  longitude  165°  to  east- 
[  ward,  and  the  Tropic  of  Cancer  to  northward. 

Having  paid  a  hundred  dollars  for  the  in- 
[  formation.  Blood  and  Harman  left  RafTerty's 
[office  and  that  very  afternoon  began  to  pur- 
chase the  trade  for  their  new  venture. 


)utside  to  I 


iGMSiiJte^«i5>!-il'2}i'^;,i5.-i'>lAh 


292 


SEA  PLUNDER 


II 


U-ff 


mn 


A  fortnight  later,  with  a  full  Chinese  cr 
and  Harman  at  the  helm,  the  Heart  shook  ( 
her  old  sails,  and,  picking  her  anchor  out 
the  mud,  lay  over  on  a  tack  that  would  ti 
her  midway  between  Alcatras  and  Bird  Ro 
It  was  a  bright  and  lovely  morning,  wit! 
west  wind  blowing,  and  Harman  whistl 
softly  to  himself  as  he  shifted  the  helm  un( 
Alcatras  and  the  slatting  sails  filled  on  the  t£ 
for  Black  Point.  She  was  catching  the  f 
breath  of  the  sea  here  and  heeled  with 
green  water  a  foot  from  the  starboard  gunw 
as  she  made  the  reach  for  Line  Point,  then 
the  port  tack  she  felt  the  first  Pacific  sea,  t 
ing  the  middle  channel. 

After  fighting  the  tumble  of  the  thirty-s 
foot  water  of  the  bar,  Harman,  having 
their  course,  relinquished  the  wheel  to  one 
the  Chinamen  and  joined  Blood. 

In  buying  the  trade,  they  had  received  so 
tips  from  Rafferty.  "Now,"  said  that  gem 
man,  "there's  no  use  in  takin'  hats  to  Paris 


^pp 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    293 


ese  crew 
hook  out 
Dr  out  of 
>uld  take 
rd  Rock. 
:,  with  a 
whistled 
m  under 
L  the  tack 

the  full 
with  the 
gunwale 
;,  then  on 

sea,  tak- 

hirty-six- 
aving  set 
to  one  of 

ved  some 
It  gentle- 
Paris  or 


coals  to  Newcastle.  If  you're  going  to  trade 
with  a  place,  you  must  take  the  things  that's 
wanted  there.  I  was  sayin'  you  could  get  all 
the  copra  you  wanted  for  baccy  pipes  and 
beads — that  was  only  me  figure  of  speech. 
Them  chaps  on  Matao — the  name  of  the  island 
—want  stuff  different  from  that,  I  took  note 
when  I  was  there,  thinkin'  to  trade  some  time 
with  them.  They're  no  end  keen  on  diggin' 
the  land  and  growin'  things,  and  they  traded 
me  a  lot  of  fish  and  shells  for  a  packet  of  onion 
seed.  They  want  stuff  that's  not  grown  there 
natural — onions,  potatoes,  and  garden  seed  in 
general.  You  might  take  some  spades  and 
vvheelbarras  and  not  be  amiss;  and  tinware, 
pots,  and  pans,  and  so  on." 

Harman  took  this  useful  tip,  and  the  Heart 
was  well  provisioned  with  things  useful  in 
the  way  of  agriculture.  He  was  talking  now 
with  Blood  on  the  stowage ;  the  wheelbarrows 
were  exercising  his  mind,  for  there  is  nothing 
more  awkward  to  stow,  or,  in  its  way,  more 
likely  to  be  damaged,  and  they  had  seven  of 
them.    It  was  a  feature  of  Harman's  make-up 


h'i 


294 


SEA  PLUNDER 


A^j 


that  he  sometimes  didn't  begin  to  bother  at 
things  till  it  was  impossible  to  put  them  rij 
and  Blood  hinted  so  in  plain  language. 

"What's  the  good  of  talkin'  about  it  noi 
said  he.  "We  worked  the  thing  out  ashi 
and  what's  done  is  done.  You  got  them  ch< 
and  if  the  Kanakas  don't  take  to  them  the 
always  fetch  their  price  in  any  port." 

"That's  what's  bothering  me,"  said  h 
man ;  "for  if  the  Kanakas  don't  want  them 
we  fill  up  with  copra,  we'll  have  to  dump 
durned  things,  for  we  won't  have  stow 
room  for  them." 

"Wait  till  we've  got  the  copra,"  rep 
Blood. 

Then  ihey  stood  watching  the  Calif orr 
coast  ge  ting  low  down  on  the  port  qua 
and  a  big  tank  steamer  pounding  along  ha 
mile  away  making  to  enter  the  gates. 

"Wheelbarrows  or  no  wheelbarrows, 
may  thank  your  God  you're  not  second  n 
on  that/'  said  Blood. 

Harman  concurred. 


her  about 
lem  right, 

it  now?" 
Jt  ashore, 
;m  cheap, 
:m  they'll 

aid  Har- 
them  and 
dump  the 
;  stowage 


j> 


replied 


ilifornian 
t  quarter 
ing  half  a 

■Qws,  you 
end  mate 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    295 

III 

They  had  favourable  winds  to  south  of  Bird 
Island,  which  is  situated  north  of  Nilihau  and 
Kauia  in  the  Hawaiian  group,  then  came  a 
calm  that  lasted  three  days,  leaving  the  old 
Heart  groaning  and  whining  to  the  lift  of  the 
swell  and  the  grumbling  of  Harman,  hungry 
for  copra. 

"There's  somethin'  about  this  tub  that  gets 
me,"  said  he.  "Somethin'  always  happens  just 
as  we're  about  to  make  good.  I  believe  Pat 
Ginnell's  put  a  curse  on  her." 

"Oh,  close  up!"  said  Blood.  "How  about 
Armbruster?  I  reckon  she's  lucky  enough; 
it's  the  fools  that  are  in  her  that  have  brought 
any  bad  luck  there's  been  going." 

"Well,  we'll  see,"  replied  the  other. 

As  if  to  disprove  his  words,  an  hour  later 
the  wind  came;  and  three  days  later,  nosing 
through  the  great  desolation  of  blue  water  be- 
tween Sejetman  Reef  and  Johnston  Island,  the 
Heart  of  Ireland  raised  the  island.  It  was 
midday  when  the  sea-birdlike  cry  of  one  of  the 


■■.f.yli-'i^^.r' 


ylT 


'-iV'ti 


'\i'^-i 


296 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Chinamen  on  the  lookout  brought  Blood  ; 
Harman  tumbling  up  from  the  cabin.  1 
it  was  the  island,  right  enough,  and  Ham 
through  his  glass  could  make  out  the  tops 
palm  trees  where  the  sea  shimmered. 

He  held  the  glass  glued  to  his  eye  for  a  r 
ment,  and  then  handed  it  to  Harman. 

"I  reckon,"  said  he,  "the  pa'ms  is  as  plei 
ful  there  as  the  hairs  on  a  bald  man's  he 
Why,  there  ain't  any  pa'ms  1" 

Blood  swore  and  closed  the  glass  witl 
snap. 

Even  at  that  distance  the  poverty  of 
place  in  copra  shouted  across  the  sea,  bu 
was  not  till  they  had  drawn  in  within  sounc 
the  reefs  that  the  true  desolation  of  this  foi 
nate  island  became  apparent. 

The  place  was  horrible.  A  mile  and  a  h 
or  maybe  two  miles,  long  by  a  mile  broad,  p 
tected  by  broken  reefs,  the  island  showed  j 
one  grove  of  maybe  a  hundred  trees ;  the  : 
was  scrub  vegetation  and  sea  birds. 

Strangest  and  perhaps  most  desolate  of 
the  features  was  a  line  of  shanties,  half  p 


^■§m^ 


l^:r^<-:: 


m 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    297 

tected  by  the  trees,  shanties  that  seemed  gone 
to  decay. 

Then,  as  the  Heart  hove  to  and  lay  sniffing 
at  the  place,  appeared  a  figure.  A  man  was 
coming  down  the  little  strip  of  beach  leading 
from  the  shanties  to  the  lagoon. 

"Look!"  said  Harman.  "He's  pushin'  off 
to  us  in  a  boat.  Say,  Blood,  d'you  see  any 
naked  Kanaka  girls  crowned  with  flowers 
waitin'  to  dance  round  us?" 

"RafTerty's  sold  us  a  pup,"  said  Blood. 

"It's  easy  to  be  seen.    We'll  wait.     Let's 


» 


The  boat,  a  small  one,  was  clearing  the  reef, 
opening  and  making  toward  them,  the  man 
sculling  her  looking  over  his  shoulder  now 
and  then  to  correct  his  course. 

Close  up,  she  revealed  herself  as  an  old  fish- 
ing dinghy,  battered  with  wear. 

Alongside,  the  man  in  her  laid  in  his  oars, 
caught  the  rope  flung  to  him  by  Harman,  and 
made  fast. 

He  was  a  pale-faced,  lantern-jawed,  dyspep- 
tic-looking person,  and  he  was  chewing,  for 


298 


SEA  PLUNDER 


the  first  thing  he  did  after  scrambling  on  dec 
was  to  spit  overboard.  The  next  was  to  ask 
question. 

"What's  your  name?"  said  he,  saluting  th 
afterguard  with  a  nod,  and  sweeping  the  dec 
with  his  eyes — eyes  like  the  wine-coloure( 
large,  soulless  eyes  of  a  hare. 

"Heart  of  Ireland,  out  of  Frisco — what 
yours?"  replied  Harman. 

"Gadgett,"  replied  the  hare-eyed  man.  " 
came  out  thinking  maybe  you  were  bringin 
news  of  my  schooner,  the  Bertha  Masoi 
She's  overdue  from  Sydney.  I'm  owner  her 
This  island's  mine,  leased  from  the  Australia 
government."  Then,  with  another  look  roun 
the  deck:  "What  in  the  nation  are  you  doin 
down  here  anjrway?" 

"Makin'  fools  of  ourselves,"  replied  Hai 
man,  "unless  we've  mistook  your  place  for 
big  copra  island  that  ought  to  lay  in  your  pes 
tion.  You  haven't  heard  tell  of  such  an  islan 
hereabouts?" 

"Look  at  your  charts,"  said  Gadgett.  "Th 
place  is  only  marked  on  the  last  British  Ac 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    299 

miralty  charts.  There's  nothing  round  here 
but  water  from  the  Change  Time'  Line  to 
Johnston  Island.  You've  come  a  thousand 
miles  out  for  copra." 

"What's  your  venture  here,  may  I  ask?" 
put  in  Blood. 

"Shell,"  replied  Gadgett,  leaning  now 
against  the  starboard  rail  and  cutting  himself 
a  new  plug  of  tobacco.  "I've  been  working 
this  island  six  years,  and  had  her  nearly 
stripped  of  shell  last  spring,  but  I've  hung  on 
to  clear  the  last  of  it.  There  isn't  much,  but 
I  thought  I'd  take  the  last  squeeze.  My 
schooner  is  overdue,  and  when  it  comes  I'm 
going  to  clear  out  for  good." 

"Say,"  said  Harman,  "did  a  chap  called 
Rafferty  call  here  last  spring?" 

Gadgett  turned  his  eyes  to  Harman. 

"Yes,  a  chap  by  that  name  was  here  in  a 
schooner.  I've  forgot  her  name.  Blown  out 
of  his  course  by  weather,  he  was,  and  called 
for  water." 

"Well,  now,  listen,"  said  Harman.  Then 
he  told  the  whole  story  we  know. 


300 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Gadgett  was  a  good  listener.  You  cou 
feel  him  putting  his  hands  into  the  pockets 
the  yarn,  so  to  speak,  and  weighing  the  cc 
tents,  nodding  his  head  the  while,  but  not  sj 
ing  a  word.  When  it  was  finished,  he  to 
from  his  pocket  the  knife  with  which  he  h 
cut  the  tobacco,  opened  it,  and  began  cuttii 
gently  at  his  left  thumb  nail. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "it's  pretty  clear  you  t^ 
gentlemen  have  been  sold.  Brought  whe( 
barrows  here  and  onion  seed  and  pots  ai 
pans;  might  as  well  have  brought  an  emp 
hold  for  all  the  trade  to  be  done  in  this  pla( 
for  when  Fm  gone,  with  the  few  Kanakas 
have  with  me — they  are  fishing  over  on  tl 
other  side  just  now — there'll  be  nobody  he 
but  sea  gulls.  Raflferty — I  see  him  clear- 
big-featured  man  he  was,  a  questioning  cha 
too.  Well,  there's  no  doubt  about  it;  he  slui 
you  a  yarn.    But  what  made  him  do  it?" 

"What  made  him  do  itl"  said  Bloc 
"Why,  to  guy  us  all  over  Frisco  and  to  g 
right  with  us  over  a  deal  we  had  with  a  cous 
of  his  by  the  name  of  Pat  Ginnell.    I'm  Iris 


rv,-V,W-5^-i-.<-'<--^-r  .■  t- 


t-:i-. 


;  .'iV*'^,*'*^''".'. 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    301 

myself,  and  I  ought  to  have  known  how  they 
stick  together.  No  matter,  there's  no  use  in 
crying  over  spilt  milk.  Can  we  come  into 
your  lagoon  for  a  brush-up?" 

Gadgett  assented.  There  was  a  broad  fair- 
way, and  he  steered  the  Heart  himself,  the 
boat  following  streamed  on  a  line.  When  the 
anchor  was  down,  he  asked  them  ashore,  anJ 
as  they  were  rowing  across  to  the  beach  said 
Gadgett:  "Do  you  gentlemen  know  anything 
ofo'      T  fishing— -shell  ?" 

"N/'saidHarman. 

"That's  a  pity,"  said  Gadgeu,  -  if  you'd 
been  disposed  and  knew  the  business  you 
might  have  cared  to  stick  here.  I  put  down 
spat  this  spring  on  the  whole  floor  of  this  la- 
goon, and  the  place  will  be  thick  with  oysters 
by  Christmas.  I'd  have  sold  you  the  remains 
of  the  lease — over  forty  years  to  run— for  a 
trifle.  There's  money  to  be  made  here— if  you 
cared  to  take  the  thing  on." 

"No,"     said     Harman,     rather     shortly. 
"We're  not  open  to  any  trade  of  that  sort." 


s^^^xT^^M^^^^K^^i^I^^^ 


302 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Well,  there  was  no  harm  in  mentioning 
said  Gadgett. 

He  took  them  up  to  the  frame  house  in 
cocoanut  grove,  where  he  lived,  and  st 
drinks.  Then  he  showed  them  the  godc 
where  shell  was  stored  and  the  KanaJ 
shanties. 

Then  Blood  and  Harman  went  off  fo 
walk  by  themselves  to  explore  the  horn 
desolation  of  the  place. 

Said  Harman,  when  they  were  ale 
"Skunk — he's  been  tryin'  to  do  us,  him  and 
spat!  I  know  all  about  oysters,  shell  ; 
pearl.  Why,  this  place  won't  be  no  use 
another  fifty  years  after  the  way  he's  sera 
it.  He  looks  on  us  as  a  pair  of  mugs,  wane 
in'  about  with  a  cargo  of  wheelbarrow 
which  we  are.  But  we  ain't  such  mugs  a 
pay  him  good  money  for  lyin'  yarns." 

They  walked  to  the  only  eminence  on 
island,  a  rise  of  ground  some  hundred  i 
above  the  sea  level,   and  there  they  st 
breathing  the  sea  air  and  watching  the  gi 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    303 

and  listening  to  the  eternal  song  of  the  surf  on 
the  reef. 

Then  they  came  back  to  the  beach  and 
hailed  the  schooner  for  a  boat,  which  presently 
put  off  and  took  them  on  board. 

Once  on  deck,  Mr.  Farman  made  a  dive 
below  into  the  cabin,  and  Blood,  following 
him,  found  him  in  the  act  of  uncorking  a  bot- 
tle of  whisky. 

"I'm  fair  let  down,"  said  Harman,  mixing 
his  drink.  "It's  not  Rafferty,  nor  the  dog's 
trick  he's  played  us,  nor  the  sight  of  this 
blasted  place  that's  enough  to  give  a  drome- 
dary the  collywobbles.  It's  that  chap  with 
the  yaJla  eyes.  I  heard  him  laffin'  to  himself 
when  he  went  into  the  house,  laffin'  at  us.  I've 
never  been  laffed  at  like  that,  but  it's  not  so 
much  that  as  the  chap.    He's  onnatural." 

"I  want  to  get  back  to  Frisco  and  scrag 
RaflFerty,"  said  Blood,  taking  hold  of  the  bot- 
tle.   "That's  all  /  want." 

"You'll  have  to  sc  ag  the  whole  of  Frisco, 
then,"  said  Harman,  "for  the  place  is  rockin' 
with  laughter  now,  from  the  China  docks  to 


304 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Meiggs'.     It's  the  wheelbarrows  that  hav 
done  us ;  they'll  be  had  against  us  everywhere 
and  not  a  bar  you'll  go  into  but  you'll  b 
asked:      Is   your  wheelbarrow   outside? 
don't  want  to  go  back  to  Frisco,  I  tell  you 
don't.    I  want  to  get  to  some  place  where 
can  sit  down  and  cuss  quiet.    Lord,  but  tha 
chap  has  had  us  lively!" 

There  was  no  doubt  of  that  fact.  Raffert) 
with  that  fatal  sense  of  humour  for  which  h 
had  a  reputation  of  a  sort,  had  well  avengei 
his  kinsman,  Ginnell,  put  a  hundred  dollar 
*.nto  his  own  pocket,  and  made  Blood  am 
Harman  forever  ridiculous  to  a  certain  orde 
of  minds.  And  his  whole  working  materia 
had  been  just  the  recollection  of  this  forsake 
island — nothing  more  than  that. 


IV 

Gadgett's  schooner,  the  Bertha  Masoi 
came  into  the  lagoon  that  night  under  a  ful 
moon  lifting  in  the  east.  Blood  and  Harma; 
had  not  gone  to  bed,  and  they  were  treated  t 
a  lovely  sight  v^hich  left  them  unimpressed. 


THE  'HEART  OF  IRELAND"    305 

Nothing  could  be  more  perfect  in  the  way 
of  a  bca  picture  than  the  schooner  fresh  from 
the  sea  spilling  her  amber  light  on  her  water 
shadows  to  the  slatting  of  curves  and  the 
sounds  of  block  and  cordage,  moving  like  a 
vision  with  just  way  enough  on  her  to  take  her 
to  her  anchorage. 

Then  the  lagoon  surface  reeled  to  the  splash 
of  the  anchor,  the  shore  echoes  answered  to  the 
rumble-tum-tum-tum  of  the  chain,  and  the 
Bertha  Mason  swung  to  her  moorings,  pre- 
senting her  bow  to  the  outward-going  current 
and  her  broadside  to  that  of  the  Heart. 

"Blast  the  blighters!"  said  Harman.  Then 
the  two  went  below  to  their  bunks. 

Next  morning  there  w^,/e  salutations  across 
the  water  from  one  schooner  to  the  other.  The 
fellows  on  the  Bertha  Mason  were  at  work 
early  getting  the  shell  on  board,  and  the 
Chinese  crew  of  the  Heart  were  busy  fishing. 
During  the  day  there  was  little  communica- 
tion between  the  two  vessels,  and  at  night  there 
was  no  oflFer  of  the  Bertha  Masonites  to  come 


^'i«v- 


'm. 


306  SEA  PLUNDER 

aboard,  yet  it  was  their  duty  to  pay  first  c 

as  the  Heart  was  a  visitor. 

"They're  a  stand-off  lot,"  said   Harm 

"They're  turnin'  up  their  noses.    I  s'pose, 

cause  we  have  a  crew  of  chinkies.    Well,  tl 

can    keep    to    themselves,    for    all    I    cs 

When're  we  goin'  to  put  out?" 

"I  c'  -n't  want  to  leave  before  them,"  s 

Blood.    "Besides,  there  are  repairs  to  be  do 
and  we  want  to  fill  up  with  water.     T! 

won't  keep  us  long." 

Harman  said  nothing.  He  wanted  to  be 
but  he  felt  as  Blood  did;  his  enmity  aga 
the  Gadgett  crowd  made  him  want  to  hold 
pretending  to  care  nothing,  and  that  enn 
was  increased  next  morning.  The  Bei 
Mason,  dragging  her  anchor  a  bit  on 
strong  incoming  current,  came  near  to  foul 
Heart.  Hartman  used  language  to  wl 
came  a  polite  inquiry  as  to  how  he  was  off 
wheelbarrows. 

"Gadgett's  told,"  said  he  to  Blood,  a 
making  suitable  answer  to  the  qu 
"They're  lafiin  at  us.    The  yarn  will  bf 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    307 


Harman. 

pose,  be- 

leW,  they 

I    care. 


to  be  off, 
y  against 
3  hold  on, 
9t  enmity 
e  Bertha 
it  on  the 
0  foul  the 
to  which 
v2iS  off  for 

Dod,  after 
e  query, 
^ill  be  all 


over  Sydney  now;  they'll  be  tellin'  it  in  N' 
York  before  they've  done  with  it.  We'll  have 
to  change  our  names  and  sink  the  Heart  to 
clear  ourselves.  Well,  I'm  goin'  off  fishin'. 
Gadgett  said  there  was  good  fishin'  from  the 
rocks  on  the  other  side  of  the  island.  I  can't 
stick  here  doin'  nuthin'.  The  deck's  burnin' 
my  feet." 

He  rowed  ashore  with  lines  and  fish  that 
the  Chinese  had  caught  for  bait.  It  was  five 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  the  Bertha  Mason, 
her  cargo  stowed,  was  preparing  to  leave  when 
he  returned. 

Blood  was  down  below  when  Harman  came 
tumbling  down  the  companionway.  He  was 
flushed,  and  looked  as  though  he  had  been 
drinking,  though  his  legs  were  steady  enough, 
and  there  was  no  smell  of  alcohol. 

"Blood!"  shouted  Harman.  "We're  made! 
Where's  your  pocketbook?  Gimme  it! 
Come  on,  haste  yourself;  come  with  me  and 
try  to  look  like  a  fool.  Gimme  the  pocket- 
book,  I  tell  you,  and  don't  ask  no  questions; 
I'm  fit  to  burst,  and  there's  no  time.    They're 


3o8 


SEA  PLUNDER 


handlin'  the  sails  on  that  bathtub.    Up  vvii 
you  and  after  me!" 

He  seized  the  pocketbook,  which  had  fi 
teen  hundred  dollars  in  it,  the  remains  of  the 
money,  and  rushed  on  deck,  followed  1 
Blood. 

The  boat  was  still  by  the  side,  with  t\^ 
Chinamen  in  her.    They  got  in  and  rowed 
the  Bertha  Mason. 

Next  moment  they  were  on  the  deck  of  tl 
Berthal  facing  Gadgett. 

"Mr.  Gadgett,"  said  Harman,  "when  yc 
talked  of  having  put  down  oyster  spat  in  tl 
lagoon,  did  you  mean  pearl-oyster  spat?" 

"Of  course,"  said  Gadgett,  scenting  vague 
what  was  coming. 

"And  will  them  oysters  have  pearls  in  the 
by  next  Christmas?" 

"Of  course  they  will,"  replied  the  oth( 
"Not  every  oyster,  but  most  of  them  will." 

"Vou  talked  of  selling  the  remains  of  t 
lease  of  the  place,"  said  Harman.  "We 
we've  come  to  buy.  What  would  you  want  f 
it?" 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    309 

"Two  thousand  dollars,"  said  Gadgett. 
They  went  below  to  bargain,  and  in  five  min- 
utes, anxious  to  be  done  with  the  fools  and 
get  away,  Gadgett  came  down  to  five  hundred 
dollars. 

He  knew  well  that  not  only  was  the  place 
stripped  by  him,  but  that  lately  it  had  been 
giving  out.  Oysters  are  among  the  most  mys- 
terious denizens  of  the  sea,  and  shell  lagoons 
"give  cut"  for  no  known  reason.  The  oysters 
cease  to  breed — that  is  all.  Gadgett  would 
have  sold  the  remains  of  his  lease  for  five  dol- 
lais,  for  five  cents,  for  a  cent.  He  would  have 
giv  en  it  away — to  an  enemy. 

He  got  five  hundred  dollars  for  it  and  reck- 
oned that  he  had  crowned  his  luck. 

Harm.an  went  below  and  examined  the 
lease.  It  included  all  rights  on  the  island 
above  and  underground,  and  all  rights  to  sea 
approaches  and  reefs. 

Gadgett  had  a  government  stamp  for  the 
new  contract.  He  was  a  man  who  always 
foresaw,  and  in  five  minutes  Harman  and 
Blood    found    themselves    in    possession    of 


310 


SEA  PLUNDER 


Matao  for  a  term  of  forty-four  years,  with  ; 
option  of  renewal  for  another  twenty  years  ( 
a  year's  notice. 

Then  Harman,  with  this  in  his  pocket,  car 
on  deck,  followed  by  Blood,  and  as  they  sto( 
saying  good-bye  to  Gadgett  the  fellow  in  cor 
mand  began  giving  the  order  to  handle  tl 
throat  and  peak  halyards. 

As  they  rowed  off,  the  jib  was  being  set,  ai 
when  they  reached  the  Heart,  the  sound  of  tl 
windlass  pawls  reached  them,  and  the  rasp 
the  anchor  chain  being  hove  short. 

"What  is  it?"  said  Blood,  who  knew  Ha 
man  too  well  to  doubt  that  they  had  got  tl 
weather  gauge  on  Gadgett. 

"Wait  till  they've  cleared  the  lagoon — W2 
till  they've  cleared  the  lagoon!"  said  the  othe 
"I'm  afraid  of  thinkin'  of  it  lest  that  chi 
should  smell  the  idea  and  come  back  and  mu 
der  us.  Oh,  Lord,  oh,  Lordl  Will  they  nev 
get  out?" 

The  anchor  of  the  Bertha  Mason  was  no 
rising  to  the  catheads;  she  was  moving,    i 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    311 

she  passed  the  reef  opening,  she  ran  up  her 
flag  and  dipped  it,  then  the  Pacific  took  her. 

"Come  down  below,"  said  Harman. 

Down  below,  not  a  word  would  he  say  till 
he  had  poured  out  two  whiskies,  one  for  him- 
self and  one  for  Blood. 

Then  he  burst  out: 

"It's  a  guano  island.  Yesterday,  when  I 
went  fishin',  I  took  notice  of  signs,  then  I  pros- 
pected. All  the  top  part  is  one  solid  block  of 
guano — nufiF  to  manure  the  continent  of  the 
States.  That  chap  has  been  sittin'  five  years 
on  millions  of  dollars  and  playin'  with  oyster 
shells.  Oh,  think  of  RaflFerty — and  the  wheel- 
barrows I  Think  of  his  long,  yellow  face  when 
he  knows!" 

"Are  you  sure?"  said  Blood. 

"Sure — why,  I've  a  workin'  knowledge  of 
guano.  Sure — o'  course  I'm  surel  Come 
ashore  with  me,  and  I'll  show  you." 

They  went  ashore,  and  before  sunset  Har- 
man had  demonstrated  that  even  on  this  side, 
where  the  deposit  was  thinnest,  the  store  was 
vast 


--..A»- 


312 


SEA  PLUNDER 


"Think  of  the  size  of  the  place,"  said 
"and  remember  from  this  to  the  other  sidi 
gets  thicker.    Fifty  years  won't  empty  it." 

The  sea  gulls  of  a  thousand  years  had  p 
sented  them  with  a  fortune  beyond  estimati 
and  Blood  for  the  first  time  in  his  life  s 
himself  a  rich  man — honestly  rich. 

Their  joy  was  so  great  that  the  first  thi 
they  did  on  returning  to  the  Heart  was  to  fli 
the  whisky  bottle  into  the  lagoon. 

"We  don't  want  any  more  of  that  hell  st 
ever,"  said  Blood.  "I  want  to  enjoy  life,  a 
that  spoils  everything," 

"I'm  with  you,"  said  Harman,  "not  to  « 
I'm  goin'  to  turn  teetotal,  for  I've  took  not 
that  them  mugs  gets  so  full  of  themselves  tV 
haven't  cargo  room  for  nuthin'  else.  Bui 
don't  want  no  more  drunks — not  me." 

During  the  next  fortnight,  with  the  help 
the  wheelbarrows  and  agricultural  imp 
ments,  they  took  in  a  cargo  of  guano.  Th 
they  sailed  for  Frisco. 

I  never  heard  exactly  the  amount  of  mon 
they  made  over  their  last  sea  adventure,  bu 


:jt-.-:*yj."L*: 


said  he, 
er  side  it 
J  it." 
had  pre- 
timation, 

life  saw 

rst  thing 
IS  to  fling 

hell  stuf? 
life,  and 


THE  "HEART  OF  IRELAND"    313 

do  know  for  a  fact  that  RaflFerty  nearly  died 
from  "mortification"  and  that  Blood  and  Har- 
man  are  exceedingly  rich  men. 

Blood  turned  gentleman  and  married;  but 
Billy  Harman  is  just  the  same,  preferring  sail- 
ormen  as  company  and  taking  voyages  to  his 
island  to  sniff  the  source  of  his  wealth  and  for 
the  good  of  his  health. 

Billy  is  the  only  man  I  have  ever  known 
unspoiled  by  money. 


ot  to  say 
)k  notice 
Ives  they 
.     But  I 

:  help  of 
imnle- 

* 

).    Then 

if  money 
re,  but  I 


y^:^ms<i^l^:m::rir^^T:imr^^^ 


ii^S»^ 


